Stay With Me (On Hiatus)
by girlslikealiens
Summary: Steve Rogers' chance at a proper life was cut short when he flew the plane into the Arctic. His best friend was dead, and his fellow comrades were either dead or close to it. The life he once knew vanished like smoke before his very eyes, but the past always finds a way to show up at the most inopportune times.
1. Chapter 1

"Ms. Richards," Amelia's head shot up and immediately, she stood up from the metal bench at the front of the convention center and extended her hand towards the old man.

"Dr. Erskine, it's a pleasure to meet you," She smiled brightly, her bracelet jingling inaudibly as she shook the man's hand with a firm grip.

From her appearance alone, she looked like any other woman at the convention. She donned a simple red dress with modest black heels. Her brunette hair was pinned back in a classic up-do. Amelia looked like an ordinary citizen enjoying the festivities that the convention had to offer, and she wanted to keep it that way. If anyone knew the true reason as to why she was at the convention, she'd be fired even before she could blink.

"Likewise, Ms. Richards," Dr. Erskine replied politely. Amelia shook her head as she waved a passive hand.

"Please, call me Amelia." She looked away from the doctor and proceeded to survey the crowd entering the center. There were mainly families that wanted to see Howard Stark's newest invention and couples that were on dates.

"Have you spotted someone yet, Dr. Erskine?" Amelia leaned towards him when she talked. She had always been cautious of speaking about Project: Rebirth out loud. The doctor shook his head nonchalantly and began walking towards the recruitment building. Amelia followed right behind but not without stopping a few times to stare at the exhibits and skimming through a few pamphlets.

"There's time for working later. Would you like to watch the show?" Dr. Erskine held out his arm which Amelia gladly took.

They approached the stage where Howard Stark would be presenting his newest invention. Amelia smirked knowingly at all of the women in the front who were chattering animatedly about Howard.

"If only they knew Howard personally, they'd be singing a different tune." Amelia muttered sarcastically to Dr. Erskine who only gave her an amused look. Soon, showgirls began strutting onto the stage in their cheesy costumes with lively music playing in the background.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Howard Stark!" An announcer shouted happily.

The previously-mentioned group of women in the front let out loud cheers when Howard came into view. Amelia had to stifle a snort at the sight of them drooling and aweing over the inventor. The showgirls extended their arms to motion towards Howard's approaching figure. He grabbed a microphone from one of the women but not without planting a large kiss on her mouth.

"That's Howard for ya. Always the ladies' man." Amelia snickered. Dr. Erskine slightly smiled and moved beside her with his hands folded behind his back in a casual manner. His lips flattened into a thin line once Howard starting speaking into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Howard began. "What if I told you that in a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all?" The showgirls then took away the wheels off the car and rolled them backstage. Amelia watched on with amusement, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"With Stark's gravitic reversion technology, you'll be able to do just that," Howard smiled and started pressing controls on a panel. Suddenly, the car jolted and began lifting up into the air. Amelia's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"What the hel-," Amelia started to say. Suddenly, the car collapsed back to the ground in a rain of sparks. The group gasped but their gasps were soon replaced with mild laughter and applause. Howard looked embarrassed that his invention didn't work as planned, but he masked his faltering face with a half-hearted laugh.

"Well, I did say in a few years, didn't I folks?" The crowd just laughed alongside Howard and continued clapping. Amelia shook her head in a loving manner as she clapped for her old friend who walked off backstage, presumably to cavort with one of the showgirls.

"Amelia," Amelia's thoughts were interrupted by Dr. Erskine lightly tapping her arm. Amelia shook out of her trance and started after the scientist whilst admiring the fireworks and the whole Modern Marvels Pavilion. All of the sudden, she felt herself collide with someone much larger than her.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" They both said at the same time. Amelia looked up and found herself staring into the blue eyes of one of the most handsome men she'd ever seen in her life. He was dressed in an army uniform, complete with the hat and all. He gave the young woman a crooked yet charming smile when he noticed her flushed face.

"It was my fault. I wasn't watching where I was going," The man said smoothly. Confidence practically radiated from his body, and Amelia was feeling its effects rather quickly.

"Um, it's n-not a problem, sir-," Amelia spluttered out and felt even more embarrassed when he laughed.

"The name's James, but friends call me Bucky," He grabbed her hand and without hesitation, placed a feather-like kiss on the top of it.

"I'm Amelia." Amelia breathed.

_Oh god, he's so attractive. _

Right when Bucky's mouth opened to say something else, Amelia felt a hand lightly pulling on her arm.

_Damn. Damn. Damn. _

"Amelia, they're expecting us," Dr. Erskine said pointedly. He didn't seem to pay any mind to Bucky who exchanged an awkward glance with Amelia.

_Thanks a lot, Dr. Erskine. _

Amelia nodded with a slight pout. She literally met one of the most handsome men in New York, and now their half-decent conversation was ruined. Well, 'ruined' might be an exaggeration but Amelia was going to hold it against Dr. Erskine if that was her last conversation with a slightly decent and fairly attractive man.

Amelia turned to Bucky with a sorry smile. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

"Hope to see you soon," Bucky drawled, sending her the same enthralling smirk from earlier.

Before she could embarrass herself even further, Amelia turned to follow Dr. Erskine back to the recruitment building. She couldn't help but pivot her head to have one last look at Bucky. He seemed to be searching for someone, his relaxed features contorting into a look of frustration. Bucky soon became another person in the crowd, and Amelia turned back around to focus on catching up with Dr. Erskine. For a somewhat old man, he could have been mistaken for the Flash.

* * *

"Dr. Erskine, they want me to let you know that—" Amelia was greeted with a sharp shush and a hand flying up in front of her face.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the harshness of his voice but the response rolled off her back like water on wings. She saw Dr. Erskine staring closely at two men who were talking heatedly in front of the posters that lined the walls of the recruitment building. Amelia recognized one of the men as Bucky, but the other was a mystery to her.

"Bucky, c'mon! There are men laying down their lives! I got no right to do any less than them." The smaller man stated confidently.

"At least try eavesdropping with some discretion," Dr. Erskine commented sassily. Amelia's cheeks burned, and she pretended to read some papers that were on the front desk. Occasionally, Amelia would look up from "reading" her pamphlets to glance at the two men.

"Don't win the war till I get there," Amelia picked up the last piece of Bucky and his friend's conversation.

She watched as Bucky saluted his friend and disappeared from view without another word. Amelia opened her mouth to speak but Dr. Erskine sent her a look that put her back into silence. Dr. Erskine and Amelia continued to fake their obliviousness as Bucky's friend passed them to enter one of the rooms. Amelia eyed Dr. Erskine closely as he glanced at the man with a certain something in his eye.

"You're not thinking-"Amelia stopped short when she saw the determination in his eyes. It was him. Bucky's friend was going to be the candidate for the serum.

"But why?" Amelia furrowed her eyebrows with confusion. The man (more like child) was scarily skinny and looked as if the wind could knock him right over. He did have determination and the right attitude so Amelia had to give him some kind of credit.

"It's not the size of the person that matters, my dear. It's their heart." Dr. Erskine's words echoed in her ears as they gathered the man's information and were guided to the room with a police officer.

* * *

The military police officer stood stoically at the opening of the room until Dr. Erskine shooed him away. Dr. Erskine was examining the man's file, flipping through some papers that held important documents and information. Amelia glanced at the folder and learned that the man's name was Steven Rogers. But the most interesting thing about him was how many times he tried to enlist. Amelia had to hand it to the little guy; he had a lot of courage pulling those kinds of stunts considering the consequences.

"So," Dr. Erskine broke the silence. "You want to go overseas, kill some Nazis."

Steve was hesitant to answer. "Excuse me?"

Dr. Erskine began walking around the room while Amelia made herself comfortable in one of the chairs against the wall. She could feel Steve glancing at her curiously, but his eyes were focused back on Dr. Erskine in a matter of milliseconds.

"Doctor Abraham Erskine," The scientist shook hands with Steve. "I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

"Steve Rogers." Steve replied back. He glanced back at Amelia and this time, Amelia stood up and held out her hand.

"My name is Amelia Richards. I work alongside Dr. Erskine." He nodded his head politely, slipping his hand into hers and giving her a firm handshake.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Amelia nodded back politely and sat back down in her seat, waiting for Dr. Erskine to continue.

"Where are you from?" Dr. Erskine looked up from perusing the papers. "Queens, 73rd street and Utopia Parkway. But before that, Germany."

Steve didn't say anything back but instead stood there quietly. This prompted Dr. Erskine to ask why. "This troubles you?"

Steve shook his head casually. "No."

_Well, that's a relief. _Amelia sighed inwardly.

"Where are you from, Mr. Rogers?" Dr. Erskine adjusted his glasses that were beginning to hang low on the bridge of his nose. Amelia could see Steve's shoulder tense from nervousness. He watched Dr. Erskine with an uneasy expression as the scientist flipped through the documents in the manila folder.

"Is it New Haven?" The doctor asked, leaning in closer to read the small print on the papers. "Or Paramus? Five exams in five different cities,"

Steve shook his head anxiously, "That might not be the right file."

Dr. Erskine finally peered up at Steve. "It is not the exams I'm interested in. It's the five tries."

Amelia remained silent, occasionally checking the wall clock for the time. She was meeting Peggy at the Stork Club at 10 o'clock for some drinks, and it was going to be their last night out together before they had to go to Camp Lehigh in a few days.

"But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to kill some Nazis?" Dr. Erskine questioned, now standing a few feet away from Steve. Steve still held an expression of bemusement on his face.

"Is this a test?" Dr. Erskine scrunched his eyebrows.

"Yes," He replied back like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Steve sighed softly before looking back at Dr. Erskine.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from." Steve said with finality.

Amelia studied Steve for a brief second. After overlooking his file, she was surprised that he was still able to stand on his own. He did have the fighting spirit but doubt still lingered within Amelia. Even though she didn't know Steve Rogers, she worried for him. But from the look on Dr. Erskine's face, there was no going back now.

"Well, there are already many big guys fighting this war?" Dr. Erskine slightly smiled. "Maybe what we need now is a little guy."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks so much for the lovely comments! I really appreciate them! To Guest, I'm still deciding whether or not Amelia ends up with Bucky or Steve. I would love to hear some input about who you'd want Amelia to be with. (: **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or Captain America. I only own my OC, Amelia. **

**Update: Changed the rank of the drill instructor due to one helpful reviewer who kindly pointed it out for me. Thank you again!**

"So, Dr. Erskine managed to find himself the soldier for the job." Peggy said more as a statement than a question. Amelia resisted the urge to correct her friend. Steve was brave and had a lot of guts enlisting more than five times, but he wasn't exactly a soldier yet.

"Looks like. Although I'm not exactly optimistic," Amelia mumbled, scrunching her eyebrows together as she took a sip from her glass. The two agents were sitting at the bar as planned, enjoying the one last time they can properly hang out before training begins. Peggy glanced at her with a look of confusion.

"Why?" Where shall I begin? Amelia thought sarcastically.

"Besides the fact he is a 23 year old with the body of an 11 year boy?" Amelia sighed, staring at her almost empty glass before continuing. "He's gonna die at training even before they can stick the serum in him." Amelia grimaced as the bitter taste of the whiskey drained down her throat.

"Now I know you don't mean that. I thought you were the one that told me that anyone could succeed at something if they tried hard enough."

Silence.

"Don't you have any confidence in him?" Peggy said with disbelief.

Amelia shrugged lazily, fiddling with the ring on her right ring finger.

"I do but…" She trailed off, not knowing how to complete her sentence. It wasn't like Amelia to be a pessimist but the thought of Steve going through the exercises tomorrow wasn't giving her much comfort. She was honestly terrified of what could happen to him. She didn't know why since training hasn't even started yet!

"You're just worried that something will happen to him," Peggy finished, her hand ghosting over her glass filled with water.

"You know, I'll be supervising his group for training. Pretty sure you can observe with Dr. Erskine if you want. That way, you can watch over him since you're so concerned about him." Peggy continued, her voice slightly teasing towards the end.

Amelia rolled her eyes and downed the last drops of her whiskey, the glass making a soft thudding sound when it hit the mahogany bar counter.

"Well, we'll see what happens at training first." Amelia smoothed out the skirt of her dress and hopped off the stool. "You driving?"

This time, Peggy was the one to roll her eyes. She caught the car keys expertly when Amelia tossed them as they walked out of the Stork Club.

"Obviously. I won't be much help at training next week if I'm dead from you drink-driving!" The girls went on their way back home which consisted of Peggy listening to Amelia complain drunkenly about how they have to wake up at an indecent time and dragging her out of the car and into her apartment.

A week had passed, and Amelia found herself having to wake up at precisely 4 in the morning which she did not appreciate at all. Amelia got out of bed and began her morning routine. She nearly jumped out of her skin when she reached the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot due to the fact she only had a few hours of sleep. Her hair was tangled in intricate knots which were going to be a disaster to comb through.

Amelia couldn't resist the urge to yawn and stretch until she heard her bones crack in satisfaction. After washing and shaving everything that needed to be cleaned up, Amelia dried herself off and changed into her uniform.

Her uniform was quite similar to Agent Carter's but Amelia wasn't a stickler for ties. She left the first two buttons of her white shirt undone and slipped her favorite daisy bracelet on her right wrist.

It was 5:43 am when Amelia saw a familiar vehicle pull up into the parking lot of her apartment building. Amelia swiftly collected her bag and dashed out of her apartment, promptly locking the door and throwing her keys into her purse. She stopped for a moment to wave goodbye to Mrs. Jensen, her elderly neighbor who was kind enough to look after her house for the time being.

"Morning, Agent Richards," Peggy greeted her as Amelia slid into the backseat of the car. Amelia smiled in acknowledgment as she secured her seat belt.

"Agent Carter," Amelia greeted in a relaxed manner. Then, the driver pulled onto the ground and began their journey to New Jersey.

When they arrived at Camp Lehigh, most of the soldiers were starting on their basic training. Amelia surveyed the group of young men who were expertly completing their exercises. Instantly, she thought of Steve Rogers. The exercises weren't that difficult to finish but in the case of Steve, Amelia wasn't sure if he'd make it past the running portion.

"Agent Carter, Agent Richards," The young women turned around and shook hands with Colonel Phillips, the head of the SSR. He was standing with Dr. Erskine who was busy evaluating the recruits who passed by.

"I heard that you and Dr. Erskine were able to find someone for that serum he's been working on," Colonel Phillips stated.

Amelia nodded nonchalantly but inside her head, her conscience screamed questions at her.

_What is he going to say when he finds out Steve is the one Dr. Erskine chose?_

_Is Steve going to survive the training today? _

_Is Steve going to survive the serum?_

"We have some things to take care of before we meet with the recruits. For the meantime," Colonel Phillips pointed to Amelia. "Agent Richards, you can join Agent Carter."

Amelia and Peggy both nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir," Dr. Erskine and Colonel Phillips walked off into one of the tents without another word.

The two agents started walking to the other side of the camp, being escorted by Sergeant Lewis and Sergeant Allen. Peggy would often make some remarks about the camp and try to engage in conversation with Amelia, but the latter would slip into a daydream and only mutter a few replies.

"Which one is Rogers again?" Peggy questioned quietly as they moved towards the line of men they were assigned to instruct. All of them looked tough and stuffed to the brim with muscle. Amelia could see a shorter man standing in the line, and she inhaled deeply once she saw who it was.

"You'll know once you see him," Amelia uttered back quickly before standing with Sergeant Lewis, ignoring the suggestive stare some recruits were sending her way.

"Gentlemen, I'm Agent Carter. I supervise all operations for this division along with Agent Richards," Peggy announced formally, briefly motioning towards Amelia. Amelia raised her hand at the mention of her name. Amelia's eyes examined the line of men and met the ones of Steve. He conveyed a small smile in her direction which she returned politely.

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria? I thought I was signing up for the U.S. Army." One recruit said with a stupid smirk on his face.

Amelia narrowed her eyes at the man but knowing Peggy, she let her friend take care of him. Peggy strode forward to the soldier who made the remark, her lips pulled into two thin, red lines.

"He's all yours," Amelia smirked but Peggy ignored her hushed comment.

Amelia gave the recruit a short look-over. He was rather muscular and beefy and towered over Amelia and some of the others by a few inches. He had this gross smirk on his face that Amelia wanted to punch over and over again, but she had to leave this one to her friend.

"What's your name, soldier?" Peggy questioned strictly. She remained emotionless even when the soldier smiled unpleasantly in her face.

"Gilmore Hodge, Your Majesty." He answered mockingly. Peggy didn't look impressed, and Amelia knew underneath Peggy's calm guise was her growing anger.

"Put your right foot forward," Peggy commanded. Amelia placed her fingers over her mouth to avoid letting out her laughter. She knew exactly what Peggy was doing, and the dumb man was playing right into it. The soldier obeyed but continued to reply with another grotesque comment.

"Hm, we gonna wrassle? 'Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like," Then SMACK! Amelia couldn't fight her laughter after witnessing Peggy Carter punching a 200 pound man in the face, sending him straight to the dirt. She could also see Steve grin from amusement when he heard Hodge grunt in pain.

"Just know that if one of you soldiers try what Hodge did today, you've got something worse coming for you," Amelia announced loudly, emphasizing Hodge's name with distaste. She received a harmony of 'Yes ma'am' from all of the recruits, and she noticed Steve slightly smile when he repeated it back.

"Agent Carter, I see you're breaking in the candidates. That's good!" Colonel Phillips appeared with Dr. Erskine. Hodge was still on the ground with his face pressed against the dirt.

"Get your ass out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention till somebody comes and tells you what to do," Colonel Phillips muttered in annoyance. The blond soldier pushed himself off the ground and straightened his shoulders.

"Yes sir," Hodge replied. Colonel Phillips paused for a moment before starting to pace in front of the men.

"General Patton has said that wars are fought with weapons but they are won by men," Amelia leaned against one of the vehicles beside Dr. Erskine and patiently listened as the colonel continued his speech.

"We are going to win this war because we have the best men," The colonel faltered once his eyes landed on one particular recruit. Amelia winced when she noticed he was staring right at Steve who was standing still with a blank expression.

"And they are going to get better," Colonel Phillips continued, sending a sharp expression towards Amelia and Dr. Erskine. Dr. Erskine merely glanced at the colonel before resuming his observation of the soldiers.

"Much, much better." Colonel Phillips couldn't repress the disappointment in his voice.

Amelia situated herself in the car with Dr. Erskine as they viewed the recruits throughout the training. She cringed when she noticed Steve beginning to climb the ropes.

"Are you sure about your choice for the serum? I mean," Amelia didn't finish her sentence. She merely motioned towards Steve who was clearly struggling. The other recruits just laughed at him and disregarded him as they reached the top of the ropes and started climbing down the other set.

"This serum better work." Amelia mumbled in frustration. What annoyed her most was that Dr. Erskine just brushed off her response like it was no big deal and smiled.

"I have faith in him. Do you?" Dr. Erskine wondered, turning his attention towards his assistant instead.

Amelia exhaled a tired sigh and ran her hand over her face, careful not to smudge her makeup. "I'm working on it."

The day went by for what seemed like a million years. Amelia was strolling through the camp grounds, her path guided only by the moonlight. The recruits were still up and about, finishing up their dinners. The agent's mind traveled to the events that unraveled earlier that afternoon.

_"__That flag means we're only at the halfway point! First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Richards and Agent Carter!" The sergeant shouted and in a hurry, the men furiously climbed the pole in hope of grabbing the timeworn flag. Amelia noticed Steve was still at the back of the group, desperately trying to catch his breath. _

_"__Come on, Rogers." Amelia whispered, not catching the sideways glance from Peggy. The men were still attempting to capture the flag, tripping on each other and pushing others out of the way for their shot for achievement. _

_"__Now fall back into line! Come on, fall in!" The sergeant yelled out and the recruits grumbled to themselves as they were not able to complete the challenge. Both agents inside the car looked on curiously when they noticed Steve was moving towards the flag pole. The sergeant turned back around and frowned at Steve who was not in formation. _

_"__Rogers, I said fall in!" Steve didn't answer but instead took apart some screws and the handle at the bottom of the pole. Everyone watched on with surprised expressions as the flag pole fell backwards and banged against the grass. A smirk began growing on Amelia's face when Steve strode forward with the flag in his hands. _

_"__Thank you sir," Steve panted, handing the sergeant the flag. The sergeant didn't reply but instead stared at the flag in shock. Steve hopped onto the car from the back and stood the seat next to Amelia. _

_"__Good job, soldier." Amelia smiled, glancing at Steve in admiration. Steve reciprocated the smile, holding her gaze as they drove back to the camp. _

_"__You're not thinking about picking Rogers, are you?" Colonel Phillips questioned as he, Dr. Erskine, and Amelia walked over to watch the recruits do push-ups. Amelia bit her bottom lip nervously as she watched Steve struggled with doing just one push-up. _

_"__Stick a needle in that kid's arm, it's gonna go through him." The three of them stopped in front of a truck. Amelia leant against it with one elbow supporting her body. _

_"__Look at that, he's making me cry." Colonel Phillips complained, turning towards Amelia and Dr. Erskine. Amelia chuckled lowly but continued to observe Steve's division who were now doing jumping jacks._

_"__I am looking for qualities beyond the physical," Dr. Erskine explained. Amelia vaguely paid attention to what the two of them were saying. She picked up bits and pieces from their conversation like how Colonel Phillips preferred the good-for-nothing soldier Hodge to be the candidate but Dr. Erskine refused. The scientist was dead serious about Steve being the person for the serum. Then it all happened. _

_"__Grenade!" Amelia heard Colonel Phillips shout and immediately, the soldiers dashed to take cover behind anything sturdy to avoid getting blasted. Amelia was about to grab the grenade to throw it in the opposite direction until Steve curled his body around it. _

_"__Get away!" Steve shouted, shoving his arm out to warn the others. "Get back!" _

_There was pure silence. It took a moment for Amelia to realize it was only a dummy grenade. But what surprised her was how quick Steve was to sacrifice himself for other people. Steve shifted off the grenade and leaned back on his hands, looking around to see that everyone was okay. He looked over at Amelia and the others._

_"__Is this a test?" Steve asked. _

_At that moment, Amelia found her missing faith. _

"Steve?" Amelia whispered but unsuccessfully earned his attention. He was busy taking some clothes and items out of his suitcase to put them away in his drawer. Amelia approached silently until her eye caught the sight of the sketchbook.

"You like to draw?" Amelia said quietly, her fingertips grazing the smooth cover. Steve's head jerked up at the sound of her voice. Steve stuttered nervously, not only because Amelia was an attractive woman who wanted to have a conversation with him but because no one ever asked him about his drawings. Not even Bucky who was too busy taking girls out on dates and working a 9 to 5 job as a mechanic. On the other hand, Steve enjoyed drawing and sketching anything he found interesting.

"Yeah, it's more of a hobby, really," Amelia cocked an eyebrow as she flipped through the book, intrigued by the beauty of the drawings. He mainly drew buildings from New York and flowers but Amelia recognized one drawing as Steve's best friend Bucky. Bucky hadn't even crossed her mind until now. She decided not to mention him and instead, she flipped the book closed.

"You definitely impressed a lot of people today," Amelia said, referring to the flag and grenade incident. She took a seat in front of Steve, crossing her ankles and laying her folded hands into her lap.

_Especially me. _Amelia added mentally.

Steve scoffed lightly but the corner of his mouth lifted into a grateful smile.

"It still doesn't change the fact that I failed most of the training," Steve scowled to himself, sitting down on the edge of his bed. Amelia frowned and before Steve could say anything else, she leaned forward and took ahold of his hand.

"Listen to me when I tell you that physical strength isn't the most important. It's strength of the heart and the choices you make." Amelia's eyes met with Steve's. They were a stunning shade of blue like the daytime sky.

"You taught me that today." Steve looked up abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief as well as happiness.

He was happy that someone believed in him or at least thought he did something right. Back in Brooklyn, Steve constantly got into fights and got into trouble with several people; trouble that Bucky had to help him out of. Now that he was on his own and needed to do things for himself, everything suddenly felt foreign to him. He didn't have someone to help him out this time. What Steve really needed was reassurance.

"If I may, Agent Richards-" Steve started but Amelia interrupted.

"Call me Amelia." She smiled sweetly. Steve's cheeks felt warm, and he assumed that at the moment, he looked like a stick figure with the face of a tomato.

"Amelia…do you think I could do it?" Steve asked, his eyes finally gazing back into Amelia's.

Amelia looked slightly confused. "The serum, I mean." It was quiet for what seemed like forever before Amelia answered.

"I do now." Her tone was truthful and trusting. "In all honesty, there couldn't be anyone else who is more capable of doing so than you."

It was amazing how her small, kind words triggered Steve's confidence. He knew that Amelia didn't believe in him at first. He saw in her eyes when Dr. Erskine first mentioned the whole project to him. She was surprised and refused to believe that someone like Steve was going to be their first test subject. But now that she was telling him outright that she has faith in him, it made all the difference in the world.

"Thank you." Steve whispered. He widened his eyes slightly when he felt her fingers locked with his.

She nodded in understanding. "It's the truth."

Amelia twisted her head to read the wall clock and clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the time.

"Well, it's late so I'll see you later. Have a good night, Steve." The man nodded quietly and watched as she exited the room.

For the first time in a while, Steve finally felt like he was somebody in this world. And he wanted to prove that to not only everyone else but to Amelia.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Thanks for the kind reviews! **

**Jo: Thanks for your ideas! I might use one of them in the future if that's alright but thanks for the feedback! Amelia is still going to be the main OC in my story so at one point; she may (or may not) see Steve in the future. And yes, I am thinking about continuing all throughout CA:TWS but I'm waiting until the DVD comes out so I have some dialogue and scenes to work off of. But just stay tuned because I have an idea for future chapters that I'm excited to explore (:**

It was early in the morning when Steve was escorted to a sleek black car by Peggy Carter. His anxiety plagued his body as he slid into the backseat next to the British agent. The palms of his hands were viciously sweating, and Steve had the urge to wipe them on the fabric of his khaki trousers. Steve had the urge to ask Peggy where Amelia was but once the car started, Peggy spent the time staring out the window.

_Today was the day._ He thought to himself. _No more turning back now._

Steve watched the people walk by on the sidewalks and the children playing games in the street. As the car turned onto a different street, Steve started to notice the familiarity of the neighborhood.

"I know this neighborhood." Steve blurted out, gaining the attention of the agent. Peggy thought he used to live there or he had friends in the area but what he said next knocked those assumptions out of the equation.

"I got beat up in that alley," He pointed with his index finger. "And that parking lot." Steve's voice began to trail off when he noticed Peggy watching him closely.

"And behind that diner," Steve mumbled, staring down at his hands.

"Did you have something against running away?" She questioned mildly.

Steve shook his head. "You start running, they'll never let you stop," Steve pointed out. "You stand up, you push back. They can't say no forever, right?" Peggy glanced at Steve and nodded once.

"I know a little what it's like," Steve looked up at her. "To have every door shut in your face." Peggy replied. The nostalgic memories she shared with Amelia washed over her body like a splash of cold water.

"I guess I just don't know why you'd want to join the Army if you were a beautiful dame," Steve questioned but backpedaled once he realized his choice of words. Peggy shifted in her seat to look at Steve with an incredulous expression.

"Or a beautifu…a woman," Steve stuttered. Peggy slightly narrowed her eyes in amusement. Amelia did mention the other night that Steve was awkward around women but she didn't know it was this bad.

"An agent, not a dame. You are beautiful but…" Steve decided it was best to not finish his excuse, judging by Peggy's reaction.

"You have no idea how to talk to women, do you?" Peggy asked in astonishment.

"I think this is one of the longest conversations I've had with one." Steve nearly laughed.

He thought back to yesterday when he was talking with Amelia. He thought back to how she believed in him and thought that he was 'the right person for the job'. He didn't regard the inquisitive expression on Agent Carter's face when Steve's lips curled into a small smile.

"So you have talked to a woman before?" Peggy wondered, her mouth curving into a playful smirk. She knew exactly who it was based on the redness of Steve's face. Steve cleared his throat uncomfortably when he finally understood the underlying meaning of her question.

"I talked to Amelia once…I mean Agent Richards." Steve stammered in correction. Peggy chuckled lowly and casually folded her hands in her lap.

"Besides, women aren't exactly lining up to dance with someone they might step on." Steve suddenly became interested with the tops of his shoes. He avoided Peggy's eyes because he already knew what he would see: pity. It was already embarrassing that he was probably the only man in Brooklyn (hell, the entire world) who has never had a special someone, and the fact that Peggy knows makes it even more discomforting.

"You must have danced." Peggy added. Steve resisted the urge to snort. He's only asked a woman out to dance once, and she ended up being attached to Bucky's side the whole entire night.

"Asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying." Steve muttered while picking at his fingernails, an awful habit he found himself falling into. "I figured I'd wait."

"For what?" Peggy inquired faintly. Steve appeared engrossed with observing the back of the passenger seat.

"The right partner." Steve concluded, gripping onto his hat with both hands. Peggy couldn't help but grin admirably at the small man.

"You'll find her one day." Peggy reassured with a knowing gleam in her eye.

"I hope so." He murmured to himself.

The car pulled to a stop right in front of an old antiques store named Brooklyn Antiques. Steve got out of the car, waiting for Agent Carter to meet him on the other side. He was about to walk in the other direction until he noticed Peggy continuing forward.

"This way," She directed towards the antique shop.

Steve stood there in bemusement, examining the worn-down shop. It didn't look too special besides some vintage clothing and decorations in the display area.

"What are we doing here?" Steve questioned but Peggy simply answered with a "Follow me".

Peggy strolled inside the shop with Steve trailing behind her. The shop was filled with various items ranging from chairs and couches to lamps and wall decorations. A minute later, an old woman appeared from behind the curtains in the back.

"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" The old woman smiled sweetly but only Peggy understood that the sweetness was a guise.

"Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," The old woman nodded as a response and moved behind the counter to press a button underneath.

Steve could hear a faint buzzing sound and Peggy motioned for him to follow her to the back of the store. The two pushed through the curtains and stopped in front of a dusty bookshelf. Steve nearly jumped back in surprise when the bookshelf clicked and opened to reveal a hallway leading to the laboratory. With a confident stride, Peggy guided Steve to the next set of double doors which opened to reveal a giant test center. As soon as Steve and Peggy reached the railing, the scientists stopped their work and turned to gape at Steve.

Steve felt uncomfortable when a deafening silence filled the workroom. Peggy cast a sympathetic glance towards Steve before guiding him downstairs. The scientists resumed their duties and paid no attention to the two even when they reached the bottom of the staircase.

Dr. Erskine approached them with a file under his arm and extended a hand towards Steve. A camera went off as soon as their hands met, and Dr. Erskine glared harshly before shooing the photographer away. Steve's eyes caught sight of a giant capsule that was positioned in the center of the room. Steve tried gulping back the lump that occurred at the back of his throat but no matter how hard he tried, it remained lodged there. The sight of all of the wires and equipment triggered Steve's anxiety once more.

_This was it._ He said to himself.

"Dr. Erskine, everything's good to go. Stark's got the stuff ready for us to begin shortly," Steve spun around at the sound of a familiar feminine voice.

Amelia approached the scientist with a folder which the man promptly took from her grasp. She was dressed in her regular SSR uniform sans her brown blazer. The sleeves of her shirt were rolled up to her elbows, and Steve noticed multiple ink smudges all over her fingers. He assumed she was busy taking down notes and documenting things for Dr. Erskine which was also the reason for her absence that morning. Small frizzy brunette strands poked out her hair bun, and her makeup was smudged slightly at the corners of her eyes. She looked extremely worn-out, and boy did she know it.

"Thank you, Agent Richards." Amelia was handed a different file which she promptly scanned over before slipping it into the crook of her arm. That was when Amelia finally noticed Steve standing there alongside Agent Carter, staring gawkily at everything around him.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there," Amelia exclaimed apologetically, slipping her hand in Steve's to shake.

Steve shook his head passively and discreetly stared at the agent as she greeted Peggy with a side-hug and a kiss on the cheek. The two fell into a quiet conversation, and Steve found himself alone once again. His heart thumped nervously in his chest, and his palms were beginning to collect sweat again. Thankfully, Dr. Erskine brought him out of his thoughts albeit the anxiety was still there.

"Please take off your shirt, tie, and your hat." Dr. Erskine instructed to Steve.

Steve hesitated for a moment before handing his hat off to another person and started unbuttoning his shirt. Amelia awkwardly cleared her throat and meandered to another part of the test center with Agent Carter.

"How was the trip here? Become best girlfriends with Rogers yet?" Amelia teased lightheartedly. Peggy rolled her eyes and elbowed Amelia in the side.

"Of course not. We all know that the girlfriend role has been fulfilled by none other than you." Peggy joked but sent Amelia a suggestive glance. Amelia stopped in her tracks and stared at her friend as if Peggy was an alien that was sent down from Planet Mars.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking…"Amelia started until she noticed Dr. Erskine motioning for them to go to the room above the testing site.

"Stop thinking it!" Amelia finished with a harsh whisper. Peggy laughed before promenading with Amelia to the top floor where the spectators and government officials were watching. Peggy and Amelia were introduced to Senator Brandt by Colonel Phillips. All in all, Amelia can safely say she didn't find Senator Brandt all that great.

Everyone continued chatting nonchalantly until a screech emitted from the speakers and they heard Dr. Erskine's accented voice speak through the microphone. Both Peggy and Amelia sat in the first row and listened patiently as the head scientist spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation but the first step on the path of peace." Dr. Erskine commenced.

Everyone watched carefully as assistants and other scientists worked diligently around the capsule and fixed the equipment that were going to be used for the procedure. Amelia couldn't help but keep her eyes on Steve who was desperately trying to remain calm in the booth.

"We begin with a series of microinjections into the subject's major muscle groups," Dr. Erskine resumed. The nurses started placing test tubes filled with the blue serum into placeholders.

"To stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays." Dr. Erskine explained. He put down the microphone to stand with Steve who was now receiving a shot of penicillin.

"He'll be fine." Peggy whispered to Amelia who didn't even notice her strong grip on the armrest of her chair. Amelia inhaled and exhaled several times before giving Peggy a reassuring/nervous smile.

"Serum infusion beginning in five…four…three…two…one," Dr. Erskine counted down as the machines fixed themselves on Steve's arms and chest. One scientist pulled a handle on the control panel and instantly, the blue serum began draining itself into Steve's body.

Amelia visibly winced when she noticed the painful expression on Steve's face. Peggy placed a comforting hand on Amelia's arm before turning back to watch.

"Now, Mr. Stark." Amelia saw Dr. Erskine say to Howard. Howard complied and pulled down a lever that began to lift the capsule Steve was laying in.

The doors of the capsule closed shut right as the capsule was stood upright. Amelia swallowed tensely as they plugged more pieces of equipment into the capsule and started pressing more buttons and controls.

Howard placed a pair of black glasses onto his face and started turning a wheel. The capsule began filling with bright light, and Amelia could see Howard shout out percentages as he continued turning. When the meter hit 70%, Steve started screaming in agony. With each scream, the Vita-Rays seemed to get brighter and brighter.

Amelia couldn't think properly. She dashed out of the room, fully aware of Peggy chasing after her, and slammed her hands onto the metal railings.

"Shut it down, Howard!" Amelia shouted at Howard who looked like he didn't know what to do. Steve let out another blood-curdling yell, causing Amelia's heart to beat rapidly in her chest.

"Turn it off!" Peggy tried to yell over Steve's screaming and the loud sounds of the machine. Amelia was about to jump over the railing to shut it off herself until she heard Steve shout from inside the capsule.

"No! Don't!" It was dead silent in the room besides the humming noises being emitted from the machine. "I can do it!"

Amelia closed her eyes shut and held the railing as support while Howard continued to count the percentages and turn the wheel. The humming began to intensify until all of the lights around the room sparked. The luminosity inside the capsule dimmed until it was completely dark, nothing but the dying sound of the machine permeating in the air. Then the capsule opened.

Amelia felt her breath catch in her throat when she finally saw Steve. He was no longer the 5'4", fatally skinny man she met a few weeks ago. This Steve was now around 6'2" and extremely muscular and healthy. Amelia found herself staring at his flawless physique, especially his well-defined muscles and stomach. He was still inside the machine, panting aggressively and coated in a thick layer of sweat. Dr. Erskine and Howard strode forward to help Steve out of the machine while the others gaped in awe at his transformation. The people in the upstairs room began piling in downstairs, shouting congratulations and well-dones at Dr. Erskine and Howard.

"I did it." Steve said breathlessly. It took ten seconds and a forceful nudge from Peggy for Amelia to go up to Steve. Amelia had no idea why she was nervous to speak to him all of the sudden. Just a few minutes, he was the skinniest man in all of Brooklyn. Now, Amelia could have mistaken him for a life-like version of a Greek sculpture. He was glancing around the completely crowded room, still breathing heavily.

"How do you feel?" Amelia stammered, trying not to stare too long at his body. Thank goodness Steve was paying attention towards the hoard of people instead of at Amelia who was glancing longingly at his stomach.

"Taller," He breathed. Amelia noticed one of the nurses looking at him with a pining expression whilst holding his shirt. Abruptly, Amelia snatched the article of clothing from her hands and handed it to Steve.

"You certainly look taller," Amelia chuckled awkwardly as Steve slipped the shirt over his head. Steve didn't seem to catch Amelia's reddened face; either that or he ignored it to avoid more awkwardness. It was a still a strange feeling looking up at Steve since she spent most of the time struggling to look at him without getting a sore neck.

"It's weird looking down at you." Steve said. It was almost like he read her mind. Amelia shrugged while rolling her eyes.

"Oh come here!" Amelia exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. Steve's eyes widened in surprise, not sure of what to do. She was still embracing him tightly with her head buried in the crook of his neck. Finally, Steve curled his arms around her waist, holding her close to him. He even spun her around happily before placing her back on the ground. They both made eye contact, hazel connecting with blue.

"I'm proud of y—" Amelia began to say until an explosion went off, causing Amelia to smash into Steve.


	4. Chapter 4

Amelia groaned in pain underneath Steve who was blocking the rain of glass from falling on her. Although she wasn't cut, his heavy body didn't exactly save her from a graceful fall.

"What's happening?" Amelia asked, lifting her head to look over Steve's broad shoulders.

She can faintly hear Dr. Erskine shouting at someone before gunshots rang through the air. One of the nurses started screaming which prompted Amelia to discover why. She pushed Steve off of her with all her strength just in time to catch Dr. Erskine from collapsing onto the glass-infested floor.

"Oh no," Her voice cracked when she noticed the two gunshot wounds targeted around his heart region.

Dr. Erskine gasped for air, his hands desperately trying to take a hold of something. Amelia pressed her hand down to apply pressure to the wound but deep down inside, she already knew it was too late. Steve rushed over and kneeled beside Amelia, staring at the fallen scientist in horror. Everyone else was too busy trying to shield themselves from the range of fire while Agent Carter went after the man who shot Dr. Erskine and was now in possession of the last vial of the serum.

"You go get him, I'll take care of him," Amelia stammered, trying to pushing Steve away.

Steve shook his head stubbornly and remained at her side. Dr. Erskine stopped fidgeting and reached over to point at Steve's chest. The scientist tried to say something but before the words can become coherent, he breathed his last breath and closed his eyes.

"No, no, no, no," The words didn't sound like words anymore. Everything felt surreal. Maybe if she pinched herself, she would wake up and she would be at home and Dr. Erskine would be okay.

Amelia pressed down even harder on the injury but only blood seeped through the spaces in between her fingers. Steve was breathing heavily; not from fatigue but anger. Before Amelia can utter a word, Steve picked himself up and sprinted up the staircase.

"I'm sorry," Amelia whispered, a single tear dripping down her cheek and onto Dr. Erskine's blood-stained shirt. Howard appeared behind her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and hugging her to him. It felt like older times, Amelia thought as she clung to Howard's body. She missed those simple times.

"Where's Peggy? Steve?" Amelia asked Howard as two men carried Dr. Erskine's body off. The test center was completely empty besides the presences of Colonel Phillips, Senator Brandt, a few police officers, Howard, and Amelia.

"They went after the guy that did this. Steve's getting blood drawn right now. The doctors are hoping they can replicate the serum through his DNA," Howard answered. His grip around her body remained secure even when the doctors tested her for shock and other injuries. "They're alright, don't worry." Howard assured when he noticed Amelia violently shivering.

"He didn't deserve this," Amelia tried speaking calmly but couldn't avoid the weak sob that came out. Howard nodded silently, his chin resting on the top of her head.

Believe or not, Howard and Amelia have been good friends since childhood. He was the school genius and she was the shy kid in class. They were complete opposites like the sun and the moon, fire and water. Even after 10 years, Howard was still the popular, loud-mouthed nerd of the school who Amelia strangely trusted with her life. He was like the annoying older brother Amelia never had.

"C'mon. Let's get you home," Howard stood her up and guided her out of the laboratory. Amelia gripped Howard's shirt and pulled him back before they could make it out of the double doors.

"No, I want to see Steve and Peggy. I want to know if they're okay." Amelia pleaded but Howard sighed deeply.

"Ams. Right now, the only thing you should be worrying about is yourself. You'll be able to visit them later." Howard tried to reason. Amelia was about to shake her head but Howard sent her a look that sent her back into silence.

"They're okay. I promise. And Howard Stark never lies." He smiled cheekily at her but even Amelia could see that it was a bit forced.

She kept her head down as Howard led her outside and into his car. They drove off to her apartment without speaking a single word. To others, it was strange to see Howard so quiet, but Amelia experienced his silence too many times. When they reached her front door, Amelia spun around and wrapped her arms around Howard's neck.

"Thanks, Howie." Howard was about to roll his eyes but realized that this wasn't a time and place for that; especially not after everything that had happened earlier.

"Anything for you, Ams." Howard rubbed her arms with his hands. "Just remember: you'll never be alone. Not as long as you've got me around."

Amelia sniffled but mustered up the courage to produce a smile. "I'll remember that." She turned around and unlocked her door, shutting it behind her without another glance back.

Amelia was allowed two weeks off after the whole incident at the lab. Colonel Phillips allowed her that much time to recuperate and recover from what she witnessed with Dr. Erskine. Amelia knew she would have to deal with the deaths of colleagues sooner or later, but she preferred later rather than sooner. She spent most of her time reading books, eating food, and catching up on sleep. Peggy had come over multiple times with bottles of wine and stories to share. The only thing new happening was that Steve was given his big break at becoming the super soldier he was meant to be. The only problem was that it involves tights and lots of screaming children.

After draining her glass of wine, Amelia heard a knock at the door. Retying her bathrobe, she shuffled to the front door and looked through the peephole. She felt her heart tinge with guilt once she recognized the familiar blond man outside her door. She hadn't seen Steve since Dr. Erskine's death, and she didn't even realize it.

She slowly opened the door and pushed herself out of the darkness. Steve looked especially handsome, wearing a brown leather jacket over a plain light blue button-up, black trousers, and regular shoes. Amelia had to admit that he was fairly attractive before the serum but now, all of his best qualities were amplified in the best way possible. He had his arms behind his back and when Amelia came into view, he moved his hands around to reveal a bouquet of yellow daisies.

"Peggy told me that they were your favorite flowers and that yellow was your favorite color so…" He trailed off, feeling the back of his neck heat up from embarrassment. At least he was still the same Steve as before. Amelia reached for the flowers and for the first time in a while, she grinned from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Steve. They're beautiful," Amelia rested them in the crook of one arm and opened the door wider to let Steve in. Steve silently observed her apartment from the living room while Amelia was looking for a vase to put the flowers in.

Amelia's apartment was small but nonetheless, it was home to her. All of the walls were painted a light blue color and Steve noticed some walls had unfinished decorations such as white flowers and trees painted on them. Steve silently wondered if Amelia was an artist like himself. He took a seat on her small leather couch and waited patiently as Amelia placed the flowers on the table in the front hallway.

"So how've you been?" Steve asked once she settled herself on the chair next to him. Amelia glanced down at the floor for a moment and chuckled humorlessly.

"Slightly better than before but I'm still getting there." Steve furrowed his eyebrows.

Amelia sniffled a little bit before picking up a newspaper on the coffee table. "So Captain America, huh? Sounds like a pretty big deal."

She lifted the newspaper to show Steve the front cover. It was of him in the Captain America costume, encouraging people to come to the shows and help contribute to the war. So far, everything was going great. The first show was difficult considering the fact that Steve had never done something like that before. But after the third performance, he felt more confident in himself. Women were drooling over him, and men looked at him with jealously as well as admiration. Kids idolized Steve, and Senator Brandt even mentioned a Captain America comic book was being made. But there was something missing and Steve couldn't help but know exactly what it was.

"Oh yeah…" He rested his elbows on his knees and stared down at his folded hands. "That." Amelia noticed the disheartened tone of his voice and got up to sit down beside him.

"What's wrong?" Steve tried to say something but the words weren't forming. Amelia lifted her hand and rested it on his shoulder.

"Talk to me," Amelia watched as Steve took in a deep breath and brought his hands up to the sides of his face in a frustrated manner.

"It's just that…" Steve sighed before continuing, feeling Amelia's gaze on his face.

"All I wanted to do was help people. But for most of my life, I never had the opportunity. You know, I wanted to go out on the front lines and actually help people. But I'm here, performing in front of all these people."

Steve lifted his head to look at Amelia. He tried to smile but it came out like a grimace. "I guess it's just not what I hoped it would be."

"Then do it." Steve stared at her in confusion. "Help people. You know why Dr. Erskine chose you?" It slightly hurt when she mentioned his name but Steve nodded.

"Because I have strength of heart, not just physical strength." Steve replied, thinking back to what Amelia said about him.

"You have so much potential, Steve. I believe that you'll make the right choices." Steve unconsciously squeezed their interlocked hands.

"Thank you, Ams." Steve whispered, his thumb brushing over the top of her hand. The corners of Amelia's eyes crinkled as she smiled at the sound at Steve using Howard's nickname for him albeit he didn't know that.

"Now go out there and show the world what Steve Rogers is capable of,"

It wasn't long until Amelia was back at work. Colonel Phillips was more than happy when he noticed Amelia up on her feet and willing to fill in for the lost time she had missed. Although, the type of work she was stuck doing wasn't exactly the most exciting job. She had to file paperwork and report back to Colonel Phillips with the completed documents. To recap, paperwork isn't fun.

A few months had passed, and Amelia was yearning to tag along on one of the SSR trips. Life behind a desk was extremely tedious, and the young agent was longing for an adventure of some sorts. When Peggy informed her about traveling to Italy in a few days, Amelia was happy to join. Not just because she was given the opportunity to visit another country and do something other than a desk job, but because she heard that Steve was performing there.

When she reached the camp in Italy with Peggy, she noticed a stage set up near the center of the grounds. She noticed a banner hung at the top that read "Captain America" and a trio of women dressed in red, white, and blue dancing and singing a cheesy song about Steve's persona. The audience of men were hooting and hollering at the girls as they performed, shouting out sexual comments and wolf-whistling. Peggy just rolled her eyes and headed off to one of the tents, presumably to meet with the colonel and the other agents.

Amelia scrunched her nose in disgust as she walked past the stage. She squinted her eyes as she walked around, trying to locate Steve without getting caught by Colonel Phillips. She technically wasn't given permission to be on camp grounds in the first place, but this was possibly her only chance to talk with Steve before he's sent off to another city for another performance.

It took a while but Amelia finally spotted Steve sitting underneath a tarp, slouched over on the floor with his sketchbook in his hand. He was preoccupied with drawing a picture of a monkey on a unicycle wearing the Captain America costume. Amelia only assumed something bad happened today considering Steve's deflated expression.

"Steve." Amelia called out. Steve swiveled around in surprise at the sound of her voice.

"Hi," Amelia positioned herself next to him on the wooden platform, swinging her legs back and forth as if she were on a swing. It started to rain profusely and Amelia made the dumb decision of not bring a raincoat with her.

All of the sudden, she felt a heavy jacket fall onto her shoulders. Steve sent her a sideways smile before turning back to look at his finished drawing.

"Things still not going the way you planned?" Amelia asked quietly. Her heart sank to her stomach when he nodded, a sad expression replacing his smile.

"Today wasn't exactly a good day for me." Steve motioned towards the stage where the showgirls were performing an encore of the Captain America theme song. "They think I'm a joke." Steve admitted. He felt her head lean against his shoulder, warmth and comfort radiating from her body.

"They're been through a lot so don't blame yourself. It'll get better in time." Amelia promised. She found herself in a daydream and she could no longer hear the music playing or the cars zooming past. She focused in on the sound of Steve's deep breathing and the musky cologne of Steve's jacket.

Suddenly, yelling broke out in the air, and both Steve and Amelia looked behind them to find out what the commotion was about. A van pulled up next to the infirmary and like lightning, the soldiers pulled out a man and rushed him inside the tent on a gurney.

"They look like they've been through hell." Steve said out loud, his eyes not leaving the medical tent. Amelia nodded in agreement.

"Those men more than most," A feminine British accent resonated in their ears. Amelia felt relieved when she noticed it was Peggy. The other agent walked over to stand underneath the tarp to avoid the rain.

"Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. 200 men went up against him…less than 50 returned." Peggy sighed deeply when she revealed the terrible news. Amelia felt sick to her stomach. What was going on out there?

"Your audience contained what was left of the 107th. The rest were either killed or captured." This time, Steve's head shot up and he jumped off the edge of the platform.

"The 107th?" He questioned Peggy who just nodded with a confused expression.

"Steve?" Amelia and Peggy both called out as Steve ran towards Colonel Phillips' tent.

"Colonel Phillips," Steve said. Colonel Phillips looked up from his documents and took one glance at Steve before looking back down.

"Well if it isn't the Star Spangled Man with a Plan. What is your plan today?" Colonel Phillips questioned in a bored tone.

"I need the casualty list from Azzano," Steve commanded.

"You don't get to give me orders, son," Colonel Phillips bluntly said. Amelia and Peggy both shared a glance and looked at Steve expectantly.

"I just need one name, sir. Sergeant James Barnes from the 107th." Amelia took in a sharp intake of breath when she realized Steve was talking about Bucky.

"I'm gonna have a conversation with the both of you later that you won't enjoy," Colonel Phillips pointed right at Amelia and Peggy but he glared even harder at Amelia. The latter stared down at her feet to avoid all eye contact with the colonel.

"Please, sir. I just need to know if he's alive. It's B-A-R," Before Steve can finish, Colonel Phillips interrupted him.

"I can spell." Steve grit his teeth as the colonel got up from his seat.

Amelia fidgeted underneath Steve's jacket, attempting to cover her entire upper body. Apart from that, she was extremely nervous about Bucky. She was desperately hoping that Bucky was just one of the people that were captured instead of killed. At least they would have a shot at rescuing him and the rest. Steve didn't deserve having his friend killed without saying goodbye.

"That name does sound familiar." Amelia felt deflated and turned to glance at Steve who donned a similar faltering expression. "I'm sorry."

"What about the others? Are you planning a rescue mission?" Steve asked. Amelia looked at the colonel anxiously but got an answer she wasn't too happy with.

"Yeah, it's called winning the war." Steve shared a look of disappointment with Amelia before looking back at the colonel.

"But if you know where they are…" Amelia spoke out but the colonel raised a hand to stop her from completing her sentence.

"They are 30 miles behind enemy lines through some of the most fortified territory in Europe," Colonel Phillips observed a map behind him and motioned to the area where Bucky and the rest were most likely kept.

"We'd lose more men than we'd save. But I don't expect you to understand that because you're a chorus girl" He pointed at Steve before moving over to Amelia. "And you're not supposed to be here at all," Amelia held back a snarky comment but instead resorted to gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.

"I think we understand just fine, sir." Steve answered stiffly, a hard look plastered on his face. Amelia didn't even try to mask the annoyance on her face when the colonel passed them.

"If I read the posters correctly, you've got someplace to be in 30 minutes." Steve was busy scanning the map on the board, his eyes skillfully tracing the lines and memorizing the geography. Amelia looked at him curiously as she pushed her arms through the jacket sleeves.

"Yes sir, I do." Steve said before stalking out of the tent, determination clear in his hardened eyes. Amelia found herself trailing after him, struggling to keep up with his fast pace.

"Oh I know that look," Amelia pointed out. "You're going to do something stupid and reckless." Steve was busy throwing a different jacket on and slipping a pair of pants over his costume. He replaced the red costume boots with dark brown military boots.

"It depends on your definition of stupid and reckless." Steve said back, grabbing the shield he uses in performances and grabbing a duffel bag filled with clothes and other items.

"I mean, I know I said to go out and help people but at least let's have a strategy first." Amelia tried to reason but Steve continued to walk out of the tent and over to an unoccupied jeep.

"If we do that, we might be too late." Steve snapped as he dumped his belongings into the trunk. Amelia ignored the harshness of his tone and reached her arm out to prevent Steve from slipping into the driver's seat.

"Well if you're planning on saving Bucky and the rest, you're not going to do it alone," Amelia said with finality.

"I'll be fine. I don't want you to get into more trouble than you already are," Steve shook his head and pushed past her arm to sit in the driver's seat, shoving the key into the ignition.

"Like hell you are. Trust me, you need our help." Amelia declared, nodding towards Peggy who was now walking towards the car.

"I heard someone needs a plane ride to Austria, is that correct?" Peggy smirked. After seeing he was outnumbered, Steve gave in and gestured for the agents to hop into the car. Amelia took the passenger seat while Peggy made herself comfortable in the back.

"So you're willing to risk your whole career to help me?" Steve said teasingly but also with a tone of surprise.

"Eh, I'd like to think Colonel Phillips has a soft spot for me and Pegs here."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Shoutout to borifanni and everyone else for your lovely reviews! In the beginning, I was going to make it a love triangle but I didn't want it to be a typical, Twilight-esque love triangle. But I'm open to any suggestions as to what you would like to see happen throughout the story! Also there's a little thing I mention in the beginning in the chapter that may or may not hint to something in the foreseeable future? ;)**

"So you want me to fly you guys to Austria in the middle of a firefight and risk my ass and career?" Howard summarized, staring at the trio with a deadpanned expression.

Amelia bit her lip nervously. "Yes?"

There was a pause before Howard clapped his hands together and hopped off the top of a desk. "Alright then, follow me!"

Peggy raised an eyebrow. "Really, it was that easy to get your approval?"

Howard shrugged carelessly. "Let's just say I'm attracted to danger." Amelia noticed a suggestive glint in Howard's eye and ushered him away before he could embarrass himself further.

"This is a matter of life and death, and you're concentrated on flirting with Agent Carter." Amelia hissed into her friend's ear. The man just rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Lighten up, Richards! I don't say anything about you and the Star Spangled Man with a Plan here." Steve didn't say a word but Amelia could tell by the way his ears burned red, he definitely heard Howard's words.

"The Hydra camp is in Kreuzberg, tucked between these two mountain ranges. It's a factory of some kind." Peggy informed Steve, pointing with an index finger on the map she had in her hands. Amelia positioned herself in the second seat in the cockpit of the plane, assisting Howard for the time-being.

"So, what is the deal with you and Captain America back there?" Howard faked a nonchalant tone.

Amelia shot him an irritated glance while making sure everything was all set and secure for their flight. So far, the ride was going smoothly but once they reach Austria, all hell will break loose.

"We're just friends, Howard. Nothing more, nothing less. But of course you have no idea how to be just friends with a woman"

Howard faked a surprised gasp. "I'm friends with you, aren't I?"

Amelia decided to ignore his comment and instead took off the headset that uncomfortably squeezed the sides of her head. "God, I don't know how you people can manage plane rides without your ears hurting."

"Whiny baby. Anyways, you're changing the subject, Richards." Howard said in a sing-songy tone as he shifted the plane a little to the right.

Amelia kept her mouth shut as she focused in on the scenery in front of them. The sun had already set and in front of them was a beautiful dark blue canvas without a cloud in sight. Despite the annoying factors most plane rides have, Amelia couldn't help but admire the view they had at the moment.

"I wish I had wings so I can fly. It beats being in an airplane." Amelia muttered to herself, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against her seat with her eyes closed.

"In your dreams, kid. I can't even trust you driving a car let alone being able to fly." Howard laughed full-heartedly but hissed in pain when he felt Amelia's fist punch him right in the shoulder.

After a few minutes of boring small talk and Howard teasing Amelia about her and Steve, Amelia stood up and walked to the back of the plane where Peggy and Steve were seated to stretch out her legs. Steve was gazing intensely outside the window, and Peggy was busy setting up the devices Steve would need for his mission in the Hydra factory. The soldier didn't notice Amelia's presence until she dropped down to the seat beside him. Amelia smiled gently, patting his knee in a comforting manner.

"Are you ready?" Amelia asked, lowering her voice so it was only her and Steve in the conversation. Steve took in a deep breath before nodding confidently.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Steve answered, his voice wavering from lack of confidence. "Buck's my best friend. I just can't leave him there." Steve trailed off, his eyes taking interest with the tops of his boots.

Amelia bobbed her head in understanding and kept her hand on his knee for a little while longer. It wasn't long until the two agents noticed they were getting closer to their destination. The gunfire and explosions weren't far off from where they were.

"Here's your transponder," Amelia spoke, handing Steve the square device which she took from Peggy earlier. "Activate it when you're ready and the signal will lead us straight to you." Steve shook his head in thanks and tucked it into his pocket.

Suddenly, the plane shook violently, and Amelia could hear bullets ricocheting off of the plane's body. That was when Amelia saw Steve opening the door and leaning forward as if he was going to jump.

"Wait, Steve! We can bring you all the way in!" Amelia shouted over the loud gunshots and explosives. Her hair violently smacked her face as the strong winds blew into the plane. Steve shook his head as he gripped the frame of the plane door tighter.

"As soon as I'm clear, you turn this thing around and get the hell out of here!" Steve yelled back. Amelia flinched as the wind forcefully whipped her hair into her face but she kept moving forward until she was about a foot away from the blond soldier.

"You can't give me orders, Steve!" Amelia answered back sassily. Steve had the audacity to smirk at her.

"The hell I can't. I'm a captain." And with that, he pushed himself off the edge and into the air.

Amelia gasped and watched Steve's falling figure nervously until she saw his parachute successfully open. She sighed in relief and shut the exit door with a slam.

"If he doesn't get himself killed, I'm going to kill him myself." Amelia groaned, rubbing at her temples to remedy her growing headache.

It had been a few days when Steve left for Austria to find Bucky and the missing soldiers. As each day painfully passed, Amelia was pestered with bouts of anxiety. She was hoping for the best but after four days, the hope was slowly taking a turn towards doubt.

Amelia was sitting at her desk, sitting adjacent to Peggy and another person, pretending to care about the paperwork placed in front of her. Sometimes, Amelia would look up when she saw Colonel Phillips pass by but not once has he looked back with some kind of news. In fact, there was never any news. Occasionally, she would tune into the radio on the corner of her desk to see if she can catch some news about Steve or the missing soldiers.

The radio didn't grant her any relief.

"If you keep glaring at the paper, I'm worried it'll catch on fire," Peggy joked but the joke died out when Peggy noticed her friend's deflated expression.

Amelia was twirling her fountain pen in her fingers like a baton. Her leg kept bouncing up and down to the point where Peggy was about to reach down and tie the limb to her chair.

"It's been almost a week. How come they're not back?" Amelia grunted, tossing the pen aside and running her hands over her tired face. Peggy gave her a sympathetic glance before and turning back to her paperwork.

"I don't know," Peggy answered back, frowning slightly. It bothered her that she couldn't give Amelia a better response. She could have come up with a wise answer that could have sparked Amelia's faith once more but no. She just had to say the most dull and overused response: _I don't know. _

Amelia tried to complete the documents she was assigned to finish but her concentration was elsewhere. She was thinking about possible scenarios that could explain why Steve was missing. She imagined that he was busy saving his friends and fighting off Nazis (which was the reasonable explanation). Then, her mind ran through situations that were too exaggerated to be real. When she finally signed the last document she had in her possession, she went off to the tent Colonel Phillips was currently in to turn them in.

"Senator Brandt, I regret to report that Captain Steven G. Rogers went missing behind enemy lines on the third." Amelia felt her throat tighten.

"As a result, I must declare Captain Rogers killed in action. Period." Colonel Phillips lifted his head up once the person finished typing the letter. Amelia cleared her throat, earning herself the attention of the colonel.

"Here are the documents you wanted completed." Amelia articulated with her voice devoid of emotion. Colonel Phillips eyed her skeptically before taking her work in his hands and placing them on top of his desk.

"No sign of activity yet?" Amelia questioned. The colonel observed her for a brief moment before shaking his head no.

"None," The colonel stopped in front of the young agent. Amelia hesitated to look up but when she did, all she saw was the colonel's stern gaze burning into hers.

"Get a cup of coffee, corporal." He commanded the man behind the typewriter and soon, it was only Amelia and Colonel Phillips in the tent.

"I can't touch Stark since he's rich and the Army's number one weapons contractor. But you and Agent Carter are neither," Amelia straightened her posture and put on a fake confident guise. But even she knew that the colonel saw straight through her act.

"No matter what, Agent Carter and I don't regret our actions. And I don't think Captain Rogers did either." Amelia spoke, her voice unwavering. The colonel narrowed his eyes at her, folding his hands behind his back.

"You think I give a damn about your opinions? I took a chance with you two and now America's golden boy and a lot of other good men are killed because you had a crush." Amelia exhaled through her nose, ignoring the way her heart thumped at the mention of the deaths of the soldiers, including Steve.

"It wasn't a crush. I had faith in him." Amelia said sternly but the colonel's face never faltered.

"Well, I hope that's a big comfort to you when they shut this division down."

Just then, a collection of people ran out from their tent and starting shouting towards one another in excitement. The only words Amelia was able to catch was 'soldiers' and 'they're back'. Hope swelled inside her chest, and Amelia was praying that her predictions were right.

"What the hell is going on out there?" Colonel Phillips questioned before leaving the tent with Amelia following close behind.

Amelia met with Agent Carter who had a bemused look on her face. Everyone gathered near the entrance of the camp, chattering among themselves eagerly. It was when they lifted the gate that Amelia saw the familiar face of Steven Rogers trudge into camp along with hundreds of soldiers. Amelia laughed in disbelief and even shed a few relieved tears. Everyone applauded the men as they headed inside the camp, carrying all sorts of foreign weapons and machinery with them.

Amelia chuckled when she saw Bucky's face drop in surprise. "You're that girl from the convention!"

"Welcome back, Sergeant Barnes." Amelia grinned. Even though he was wearing tattered clothing and looked as if he was dragged through the mud for hours on end, Bucky managed to muster up the same charming smile.

"Sorry I'm late." A voice called from behind the agent. Masking the smile that was on her face, she spun around and crossed her arms in fake annoyance.

"What's your excuse, Cap?" Amelia lifted an eyebrow. Steve dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out his broken transponder. The device looked like it was blown to pieces with a few wires dangling out of the box.

"Couldn't call my ride," Steve teased.

Even after all the hell he went through to get the men to safety, it was safe to say it was worth it. Not only because the lives of 500 men was important to him, but because he missed seeing Amelia's face. Through the immense pain and fatigue he was experiencing, he felt a weight lift from his chest when he saw the corners of Amelia's mouth curl into a lovely smile.

"Well, it's not a horrible excuse but next time won't be so easy, Rogers!" Amelia said with fake sternness but she soon fell into a fit of laughter.

"I'm looking forward to it." Steve answered sincerely without breaking eye contact.

"Hey!" Bucky yelled to get the attention of the whole camp. "Let's hear it for Captain America!"

All around them, there were cheers and the sounds of soldiers chanting Steve's name. Steve surveyed the crowd proudly and briefly shared a grin with his best friend. Hearing everyone cheering for him not because there were a bunch of dancing women behind him but because he did something that mattered made the weight on his chest a little lighter.

"Congratulations, Cap." Amelia grinned, receiving an equally large smile back. The whole camp and the cheering dissipated, and Amelia was all Steve saw.


	6. Chapter 6

After the celebratory cheers for Steve and the others, Amelia helped assist the wounded soldiers to the infirmary for treatment. She passed around plates of food and water to those who needed it and helped out with the minor injuries.

"So you're an army girl." Bucky said as Amelia cleaned a cut on his face. He flinched back when she pressed the alcohol-dipped cloth against the injury but nonetheless, he remained motionless on the cot.

"You're observant, are you?" Amelia mumbled sarcastically, shoveling through the endless piles of medical equipment in the kit. She could feel Bucky's stare on her face but she occupied her attention with finding a clean bandage for his hand.

"Here we go." Amelia took out a roll of bandage and shut the lid on the first aid kit. Bucky watched as she expertly wrapped the gauze around his calloused hand, her fingers lightly brushing against his tanned skin.

"Why did you want to be in the Army?" Bucky questioned with a genuine look of curiosity. He didn't have any other wounds she needed to tend to so Amelia had no reason to be there anymore. Oddly enough, Amelia stayed sitting on the edge of the cot beside Bucky.

"I guess I just wanted to help people." Amelia said finally. "What better way to do that than join a top-secret organization in the military?" Bucky's mouth lifted into a slanted smile.

"You sound just like Steve." He chuckled lowly, messing with the tight bandage around his left hand. Amelia lightly smacked his hand away to avoid him ruining the dressing even further.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Amelia asked jokingly. Bucky shook his head and stared down at his wrapped hand.

"A good thing, of course. Steve would kill me if I said otherwise." Bucky laughed. "Steve's stubborn and has this thing against bullies. He got himself in a whole bunch of fights because of it. But I'll always admire him for his selflessness, you know?" Bucky glanced at Amelia who nodded in understanding.

Amelia imagined a smaller Steve picking a fight with someone a lot larger than him. She could see him egging the bullies on and facing the consequences afterwards. She imagined Bucky rolling his eyes and having to fight the other person off when things got out of hand. Now that Steve was healthy and stronger than ever before, Amelia figured he wouldn't have any trouble fighting off the bad guys.

The woman was about to get up from the cot until Bucky reached up to grab her hand.

"When are you free?" Bucky suddenly said, shifting his whole body so that he was completely facing Amelia.

"Well after the whole Hydra incident, I'll be really busy. And then we're traveling to London in a few days," Bucky's expectant face faltered. "But after that, I'm as free as can be." The smile was back.

"So what are my chances of you saying yes to a night on the town, just the two of us?" Bucky asked expectantly. He hoped he didn't sound desperate and creepy. Bucky Barnes was anything but those. But when she smiled genuinely, the sergeant's worries dissipated.

"Well, a night out in London doesn't sound too bad." With that, Amelia turned on her heel and headed out of the infirmary.

Amelia let out a prolonged yawn before stepping into the SSR's headquarters. In her possession were the folders filled with completed reports about the Hydra factories and more information on Johann Schmidt's. If only Colonel Phillips knew how long she spent hunched over her desk just to finish the six reports. Peggy even had to drag her out of her chair and force her into her bed to avoid Amelia passing out from exhaustion.

"Morning, Agent Carter," Amelia greeted lethargically as she passed the British agent. It was a wonder that Peggy was up and energetic this morning considering she went to bed around the same time as Amelia.

"I'm surprised you even got out of bed this morning." Peggy said with surprise. Amelia sneakily sent her a glare underneath her eyelashes but stopped when she noticed Colonel Phillips approaching the two of them. Colonel Phillips nodded towards the two agents in acknowledgement before reaching out to grab the reports from Amelia.

"Thank you, Agent Richards." He said shortly before turning back to his desk and flipping through the finished documents inside the folders. Amelia headed towards the other side of the room where Steve was marking down the locations of the known Hydra factories. She sat down on the corner of the desk and watched Steve as he continued plotting points on the map.

"And the sixth one was," Steve stared down at the map with intense concentration. "About here. 30, 40 miles west of the Maginot Line." Steve stood up straight, overlooking the map before a man pulled the map off of the desk. Amelia looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"I just got a quick look," Steve explained. Amelia rolled her eyes as she pushed herself off the desk.

"Quick look, my ass." She muttered, moving past Steve to join Colonel Phillips and Peggy. Steve gazed at her for a quick moment before snapping out of it and following the three to another map with plot points indicating another set of Hydra facilities.

"This is the weapons factories we know about. Sergeant Barnes said that Hydra shipped all the parts to another facility that isn't on this map." Steve informed as they

surveyed another map on the table with little models of factories on different points on the map. Colonel Phillips took in the information before advising Peggy to call MI6 and taking off in the other direction. The two agents and Steve followed suit, waiting to hear for any further instruction.

"What about us?" Peggy questioned. A blonde woman walked up to Colonel Phillips with some papers. The woman looked up as the colonel resumed talking and was glancing at Steve with a subtle hint of flirtation.

Amelia subtly narrowed her eyes at the woman. Private Lorraine had a knack for flirting with fellow agents, and that didn't bother Amelia at all. But for some reason, it bothered her this time. She didn't even realize she had been glaring at the blonde woman for a long time until she felt Peggy nudge her back into reality.

"Richards, you can help assist Agent Carter and the others with finding this other damn Hydra facility." The colonel asked but it wasn't a command, just a simple statement.

"If I may, I have some personal matters to attend to later." Amelia stated. Peggy and Steve both glanced at her with a curious expression but turned back when they heard the colonel sigh.

"I'll let it slide this time but in return, you're staying up past your bedtime filing piles of paperwork." Colonel Phillips said pointedly. Instead of whining and complaining about it like she always did (not in front of Colonel Phillips, of course), she nodded obediently.

"Yes, sir." The colonel nodded towards Steve.

"Rogers, you think you can wipe Hydra off the map?" Steve nodded in response.

"Yes sir, but I'll need a team." The colonel was preoccupied with perusing the documents. Private Lorraine was still beside him, openly looking Steve up and down with an enticing smile. Amelia's grimace was almost impossible to suppress.

_When was this woman going to leave?!_

"We're already putting together the best men," Colonel Phillips said.

"With all due respect sir," Steve started. "So am I."

"You look nice," Peggy commented with amusement as Amelia stumbled to slip her foot into her heel.

She was dressed in a simple dark blue dress that ended a little above the knee. Amelia wasn't too adamant about the black heels but she decided that tonight was an exception. Her newly cut hair was still in curlers, and she was about done with fixing her makeup.

"Thanks, Pegs." Amelia shyly smiled as she observed herself in the vanity mirror.

She silently complimented herself for making herself look half decent. For the past days, she didn't have time to touch up her curls or reapply her lipstick. It felt nice to _look_ nice for a change. After removing the curlers and grabbing her purse, Amelia bid Peggy goodbye and headed out of the door.

The bar was noisy with groups of men gathered at various tables, laughing full-heartedly and singing songs. It was when they noticed Amelia enter the room that their commotions ceased. Her ears burned red when she felt all eyes on her.

"Bonsoir, mon amour." Amelia spun around abruptly when she felt someone behind her. She recognized him as one of the men Steve had saved at the Hydra factory. He took ahold of her hand and pressed his lips against her knuckles.

"Well, bonsoir to you too, monsieur," Too bad she didn't speak fluent French or else she would have engaged in a full-blown conversation with the man.

Amelia then recognized the other men who were seated at the table. She remembered them from when she had to fill out paperwork, and their names occasionally showed up. If her memory serves her right, they were Timothy 'Dum Dum' Dugan, James Morita, James Montgomery Falsworth, Gabe Jones, and Jacques Dernier.

"Do you boys know where Bucky is, by any chance?" She asked.

All at once, the men pointed to the other end of the bar, still gawking at her appearance. Amelia awkwardly nodded and continued forward, ignoring the men's prolonged stares at her backside. Dum Dum took a deep gulp from his mug, effectively draining the last of his pint.

"That's my future wife right there." Dum Dum breathed, the bottom of the glass thudding against the wooden table.

"You've got some competition there, my friend." Gabe snorted before being roughly elbowed in the ribs.

"Hello boys." Amelia said shyly when she found Bucky and Steve sitting at the bar, sipping from their glasses of whiskey.

The two best friends stopped drinking and turned around at the sound of her voice. Their eyes nearly popped out their heads as they took in her appearance. Bucky was the first to stand up, towering over Amelia by a few inches.

"You look gorgeous!" Bucky ran a hand through his short hair. She simpered nervously and self-consciously tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Steve was hanging in the background while Bucky kept showering Amelia with compliments.

When Bucky first told him that his date tonight was Amelia, he wanted to laugh it off. He wanted to think that Bucky was messing with him and that his date was really Peggy or the blonde woman from earlier. But now that he was looking at the two of them together, it finally fell upon him.

And it didn't feel right to him.

"Hello, Steve." Amelia addressed, making Steve lift his head up hesitantly. He swallowed back the knot in his throat and tried smiling but it appeared awkward and forced.

"You do look beautiful, Amelia." He said truthfully.

And it was the truth. There she was, standing before him underneath the dim lights of the bar. Steve noticed a little dot underneath her eye that he never noticed until now. He noticed how the corners of her eyes would crinkle whenever she smiled. Her brows would furrow whenever she was confused or frustrated. She would always have ink smudges all over her fingers, and she would complain about it to Steve when she would see him.

There she was, looking as beautiful as ever. And Steve had to watch her go with his best friend.

"Thank you Steve." Her voice was soft and wispy. Everything was silent before Amelia turned to Bucky who was waiting for her patiently with his arm ready for her to hold.

"Ready?" Bucky asked. Amelia looked back at Steve before nodding and walking out of the bar with her arm linked with Bucky's.

"Bye, Ams," Steve sighed dejectedly when they exited the pub. He sat back down at the bar and reluctantly ordered another drink.

**A/N: Sorry to those who really wanted Steve and Amelia to be together! In the beginning, this story was meant to be a BuckyxOC story but now, I'm dabbling with the idea of a subtle love triangle. But don't fear! There is still more in the making! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please favorite and don't be afraid to review and tell me any suggestions or concerns. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I realized what I said about Steve and Amelia not getting together was worded weirdly. Bucky and Amelia aren't officially together but at the same time, she's not with Steve either. (yet….*insert winking emoji*) But enjoy! I especially like the last scene because of reasons (:**

The night had surprisingly turned out to be one of the best nights Amelia's had in a long time. Bucky had brought her to a nice restaurant that was a few streets away from the pub to get something to eat. Instead of eating their food like normal people would, they spent their entire time sharing stories and laughing until their sides hurt.

After the meal was paid for courtesy of James Buchanan Barnes, Bucky took Amelia to go dancing. To be fair, the only times Amelia properly danced was at her cousin's wedding and another time when Peggy forced her to go to the Stork Club for the first time. But all of her worries faded away when Bucky took her by the hand and led her onto the dance floor.

"Your dancing certainly surprises me, Mr. Barnes." Amelia commented as she and Bucky swayed back and forth to the music. Bucky puffed out his chest with confidence and shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're not bad yourself, Ms. Richards." Bucky said, twirling Amelia around and pulling her back towards him.

Her left hand gripped his shoulder while she intertwined her right hand with Bucky's left. Amelia sighed contently, resting her head on his chest. She could hear his strong heartbeats through his jacket.

"Thank you for tonight, James." Amelia murmured into his chest, closing her eyes as she canceled out every other sound and focused on the music playing. She could feel his chest vibrate, signifying that he was chuckling.

"Anything for you, sweetheart." Amelia didn't have to look up to know he was being sincere.

The night was still young but unfortunately, they all had jobs to get to early in the morning. As they were walking back to Amelia's place, Bucky began telling Amelia the story of how he first met Steve.

"He was like the size of a fire hydrant and as skinny as a toothpick but he kept on punching at them and kicking. He just wouldn't stop." Bucky laughed, slinging his arm around Amelia's shoulders. Amelia copied his movements and curled her right arm around his waist. They were walking down the empty sidewalk with only the dingy street lamps lighting their path.

"When I got there, they were still wailing on him like God knows what. So I did what I had to do." Bucky paused, turning towards Amelia. She had raised one eyebrow as if to say "What?".

"I kicked their asses into next Tuesday." Bucky finished proudly. Amelia rolled her eyes playfully and bumped her hip into his.

"Oh, my hero!" Amelia pretended to faint, placing her hand over her forehead and closing her eyes. She yelped in surprise when Bucky grabbed her hand and spun her around with both arms around her middle.

"Stop!" She laughed. For a second, she thought Bucky was going to comply and put her down gently, the man did the exact opposite.

She started screaming when Bucky began carrying her bridal style and started running down the pavement. Amelia was silently praying that she wouldn't fall onto the hard concrete and get squished by Bucky's larger body. Bucky's arms began feeling weaker so he came to a stopping point and helped her to her feet. He winced in pain when he felt her smack him on the arm with her purse.

"Hey, I didn't drop you!" Bucky exclaimed, snorting at the sight of Amelia's less-than-pleased face.

They continued their journey in silence, Bucky occasionally looking at Amelia from his peripheral vision. Before they knew it, they were in front of the apartment Amelia was sharing with Peggy for the meantime. Bucky tried to mask the look of disappointment on his face as Amelia pulled out her keys from her purse.

"I honestly had the best time. I owe you." The fact that their night was over bummed her out and she secretly hoped Bucky was up for another date like she did. Bucky sent her one of his handsome crooked smirks and shook his head.

"I guess you can make it up by going on another date with me?" Hope danced around his deep blue eyes. Amelia fiddled with the keys in her hands before she nodded in agreement.

"I would love that." The thick tension in the air was almost suffocating. Amelia bit her lip, contemplating whether or not she should kiss him on the mouth or the cheek or just say goodbye. They did properly meet almost two weeks ago but boy, did it feel like forever to the both of them.

Before she could make up her mind, she was brought out of her thoughts when Bucky's lips met with hers. Her eyes widened in surprise. Slowly, they shut themselves, and Amelia placed her hands on both sides of Bucky's face. They both pulled away at the same time, both of their expressions unreadable.

"Goodnight." Bucky said breathlessly, letting go of her hand and walking down the stairs and onto the sidewalk.

Amelia stared after him until his figure was masked by the darkness of the night. Her heart was thumping erratically inside her chest, and her head was pounding with so many thoughts. The only logical response Amelia had in mind: squeal and jump and down like a little girl.

And so she did.

"Amelia, wake up." She could hear Peggy's voice whisper into her ear.

When the former didn't respond, Peggy promptly shook her friend's shoulder. Groggily, Amelia let out a prolonged groan and pushed herself off her bed. The sun was shining brightly through the thin white curtains, nearly blinding Amelia when her eyes opened. Peggy was already dressed in her uniform sans her jacket. She was busy picking up Amelia's dirty clothes off the floor and dumping them in the clothes hamper.

"How'd the date go? You kind of passed out in your room before I could ask." Peggy asked, picking up each article of clothing off the carpeted floor. Amelia felt her mouth curve into a Cheshire Cat-like grin at the mention of last night's events.

"It was amazing!" Amelia exclaimed in a sing-songy tone as she stretched out her arms and legs. Peggy rolled her eyes playfully and tossed her friend a white button-up and a pencil skirt.

"C'mon, you're going to be late. I'll go make some breakfast." Peggy informed her before escaping through the bedroom door.

Amelia yawned as she strolled into her bathroom and brushed her teeth with the new peppermint toothpaste Peggy picked up from the store last night. She stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water, feeling her muscles relax instantly. Her legs and arms were extremely sore from dancing in heels all last night but after a few minutes, they were back to normal.

Amelia brushed through her damp chestnut brown hair that now stopped at her shoulders. The eye bags underneath her eyes were beginning to darken due to her long work schedule. After applying some makeup to her eyes and leaving her hair to dry, Amelia changed into her work clothes. Walking out to the kitchen, she took a seat at the table with Peggy who was serving her eggs and pancakes.

"I'm telling you," Amelia's words were muffled due to the pancakes that were crammed in her mouth. "When I die, all I need with me is your pancakes." Peggy laughed before digging into her breakfast herself.

They both finished eating their breakfast in 10 minutes and headed out of the door to meet with the others about new equipment for Steve to try out. Once they were inside, Peggy went off to speak with some individuals from MI6 about the Hydra bases. Amelia spent most of her time sitting with Howard who was testing out the strange glowing object Steve stole a few weeks ago.

"Emission signature is unusual." Howard commented, staring hard at the glowing blue orb from behind the glass. "Alpha and beta ray neutral. Though I doubt Rogers picked up on that." Howard joked to Amelia who rolled her eyes.

"Seems harmless enough. Hard to see what the fuss is about." Amelia braced herself for what was about to happen next.

Right when the metal made contact with the orb, the glass burst into millions of tiny piece and sent Howard flying across the room. Amelia shielded her face with her arms, throwing her body onto the row of chairs next to her.

"Are you alright?" Amelia asked, coughing hoarsely when the smoke filled her lungs. Howard sat up with his black hair ruffled up and lab coat dirtied.

"Write that down." Howard groaned with his voice cracking. Amelia chuckled before helping her friend up and sending someone down to clean up the glass.

The agent then made her way upstairs in hopes of catching Steve. He was supposed to be meeting with Howard in 20 minutes, but he wasn't anywhere to be found. She started towards Colonel Phillips' office in case Steve was in there talking with him. Right before she entered his office, her eye caught something moving behind a shelf. With her hands on her hips, she walked forward and opened her mouth to yell at the two about fooling around at work.

Her voice was caught in her throat when she found out who it was. Right in front of her was Private Lorraine intensely kissing Steve, her hand gripping his tie to bring him closer to her. Her eyes burned a little at the sight but she figured it was because she was glaring at the both of them for a long time. All upset feelings were pushed aside as Amelia composed herself and cleared her throat. Steve pulled away abruptly, his hand meeting his mouth to wipe away the remnants of his kiss.

"Amelia." He started but Amelia shook her head with a clipped laugh. It wasn't like her usual laugh that was full of life and amusement. This laugh sounded bitter, and Steve knew immediately that he was in for it.

She swore she could see Private Lorraine smirk as if she had won a competition between her and Amelia. Amelia had no idea why Steve kissing Private Lorraine made her so upset. Technically, she was with Bucky, wasn't she? Amelia smiled curtly and humorlessly before her lips dropped to a thin line.

"We're ready for you if you're not otherwise occupied." Amelia started. She pointed at Private Lorraine who straightened her posture when she saw Amelia's glare fixated on her.

"And get back to work, Private." Private Lorraine complied and headed towards her desk. But not before she winked suggestively at Steve.

When Private Lorraine was finally gone, Amelia started towards the double doors. She could hear Steve's heavy footsteps behind her but not once she did turn around to look at him. Multiple emotions were whirling around her head, but Amelia couldn't pinpoint any exact feeling. It could have been jealousy, but Amelia tossed that possibility aside.

Steve was her friend. That's all.

"Amelia, wait." Steve touched her shoulder with his hand which Amelia promptly shook off. Amelia stared up at him with a blank expression, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What, Steve?" Steve winced at the sharpness of her tone. Nonetheless, he continued.

"Why are you upset with me?" Steve asked curiously. He felt like he knew the answer but he didn't want to look like a fool for thinking it. Besides, it was a one-and-a-million chance.

Amelia laughed dully. She glanced at the double doors where she and Steve were supposed to be going through for the equipment testing, hoping that Howard would walk through them and save her from this pointless conversation. Well, at least _she_ thought it was pointless.

"I'm not." Steve didn't look convinced. "I'm simply annoyed that you were late because you were making out with Private Lorraine. We don't have all day for you, Captain, believe or not." The next question she would receive nearly prompted her to smack the soldier in the face.

"Are you jealous?" Amelia gawked at Steve's question.

"Why should I be jealous of you and her? That's pathetic!" Amelia exclaimed loudly, not even acknowledging the bystanders that took interest in their conversation. "I honestly can't believe you would think that of me. You know that I'm—" Steve cut her off.

"With Bucky, I know." Surprisingly, he answered back with a biting tone. Her eyes widened in shock but they soon changed into a harsh glare.

"I was going to say that I'm not that kind of person. But glad to know that you are." Amelia turned on her heel and pushed through the double doors, her face burning from anger. She didn't even bother to see if Steve was following her.

At this point, she didn't care. All she knew was that their friendship was practically screwed over.

Amelia stood off to the side with Peggy, ignoring the latter's worried glances. She spent her time glaring at Steve who was overlooking the equipment Howard had made for him. He was especially interested in the circular shield which Amelia identified as the Vibranium shield. It was one of the rarest metals on Earth, and its main function is to absorb any kind of vibration.

_Any kind of vibration, eh? _That sparked an idea inside of her.

"Let's test it, shall we?" Amelia exclaimed, cutting into Steve and Howard's conversation.

They both looked at each other in confusion as Amelia loaded a pistol and aimed it at Steve. When he noticed what she was doing, Steve lifted the shield right when Amelia shot the first bullet. After shooting two more times, Amelia put the gun down and observed her handiwork. There were slight indentations on the metal where the bullets were hit but overall, the shield had protected Steve from getting shot.

"Looks like it works." Amelia growled sarcastically, shoving past a terrified Steve and an amused yet intimidated Howard.

"Pal, what did you do this time?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Happy 4****th**** of July! Also, Happy birthday to Steve Rogers! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry if it's a bit shorter than the others but it's definitely a mood-changer. Favorites, follows, and reviews are highly welcomed! Hope you guys have a great day! **

**Because I forgot in the last few chapters, I don't own Marvel or Captain America. I only own Amelia Richards and my future OCs! **

Ignoring Steve turned out to be a little easier than Amelia thought. Of course there were the awkward run-ins at headquarters, and she had to speak with him from time to time. Due to the discovery of the multiple Hydra facilities, Steve spent most of his time with the Howling Commandos.

The Howling Commandos consisted of Bucky and the men Amelia had met at the pub on the night of her date with Bucky. Amelia found herself becoming friends with each and every one of them. She even became good friends with Dum Dum, even after he blatantly flirted with her in front of Bucky.

Bucky and Amelia's relationship had taken a more serious turn as the long months passed by. Since he was now part of the Howling Commandos and the fight against Hydra was becoming more and more dangerous, the couple would be apart for long periods of time. Before Bucky was faced with more missions, he and Amelia would go out on dates and go dancing once and a while. Amelia knew that if she was going to commit to a relationship with him, she had to prepare herself for anything that could happen.

She just didn't know when it was going to happen.

"Be careful, okay?" Amelia said sternly as she buttoned up Bucky's dark blue jacket. They were both at headquarters, saying their goodbyes before he had to meet with the others for another Hydra mission. Bucky rolled his eyes and took ahold of Amelia's hands before she could fix another part of Bucky's outfit.

"Hey, I'm not gonna leave my best girl behind." Amelia's cheeks burned when Bucky referred to her as _his_ girl. Even after being together for a year and a half, she still blushed at the idea of being his special someone.

Amelia sighed and glanced down at their intertwined hands. Her hands looked like a child's compared to Bucky's, and she knew it could be a long time until she could hold them again. Noticing her silence, Bucky lifted her chin with two fingers and forced her to look into his eyes.

"It'll be like any other mission, okay?" The corners of Amelia's eyes started forming tears but she dropped her head onto Bucky before he could see. "I promise, sweetheart."

"Bucky, it's time to—" Steve started to say until he saw him with Amelia. Amelia's gaze fell down to her feet when she recognized the intruder as Steve, and Bucky sent him a silent confirmation.

Just before Bucky left the room, he grabbed Amelia and pressed his body against hers. Their arms were wrapped around each other in a vice-like grip. Amelia's head leaned against Bucky's chest with his chin rested on top. It felt like eternity until the two slipped out of each other's grasp. Amelia stood on her toes to place a delicate kiss against Bucky's lips.

"I love you." Bucky whispered, brushing his lips against her forehead. Steve felt his heart drop to his stomach but quickly erased the traces of emotion from his face when Bucky turned to face him.

"I love you too." Amelia sniffled.

She kept her voice quiet in fear that she was going to burst into violent tears at any moment. She hadn't been this emotional since the first dangerous mission Bucky's been on. This time was different, and she couldn't help but feel something in the pit of her stomach. The past year has been like a dream to her, but Amelia also spent every single day worrying about Bucky's safety.

Whether she liked it or not, she was also pestered with worries about Steve as well. She knew she was being petty with not speaking to him like old times, but Amelia had a thing with holding grudges against people. Peggy would always command her to speak with the blond and try to mend their friendship, but Amelia's stubbornness got the best of her.

Bucky drew away from her touch to meet Steve who was still standing at the front door. Seeing him in the room after months of not speaking created an awkward tension in the atmosphere between Amelia and him. Bucky didn't say anything about it, but Amelia could sense that he knew about it. But unlike Peggy, he never mentioned it.

"I'll be right there." Steve said to Bucky who just nodded and left to meet the others outside.

Steve tucked his red-white-and-blue shield behind his back. He was standing awkwardly at the entrance, internally debating whether to approach Amelia or not. The agent paid no mind to the super soldier. Instead, she started cleaning up around her work area and tucking folders into her purse. She heard him clear his throat but she continued packing up her things.

"I'm sorry." Steve started, watching carefully as Amelia abruptly paused. Her hands hovered over the table before dropping down onto the cold, wooden surface. She tried to ignore the bouts of guilt that hit her like a rubber bullet, but Steve was making it hard for her to do so.

Amelia didn't say anything at first which prompted Steve to think she wasn't going to accept his apology. Before he could escape through the door, Steve heard her quiet voice cut through the silence.

"For what?" Steve removed his hand from the doorknob and spun back around to Amelia.

Her lips were pulled into a thin line with her eyes focused on him like a hawk's. Steve felt his neck heat up from nervousness. Almost a year without speaking to her and Steve was starting to revert back to his old ways where he could barely say 'excuse me' to a woman.

"Being a jerk." Amelia stood there silently. Steve knew that was a horrible excuse so he kept talking. "It was wrong of me to be rude to you. Especially after all you've done for me in the past few years."

"I guess I was the one jealous." Steve chuckled humorlessly and turned to look at the floor.

In doing that, he was unable to catch Amelia's sudden change of body language. Amelia's vacant expression contorted into a look of shock. She opened her mouth to say something but her lips pressed back together, silencing her unspoken words. When Steve realized what he had said, he stood up from the desk and started for the door without another word.

"Steve?" He turned around with slight surprise. This time, Amelia was looking at him timidly and penitently. Her defensive armor was gone, and in front of Steve was the old Amelia.

The Amelia that told him that he was capable of doing the serum.

The Amelia that had faith in him.

"Stay safe." Amelia simply said. "And bring Bucky home." Steve felt doubt pang within him but he tried his best to give her a confident nod.

"I promise." With that, Steve left the room, leaving Amelia by herself in the empty headquarters. She sighed deeply before turning back to her work desk and resuming her cleaning.

That night when Amelia went back to the apartment, she prayed her very hardest. Both she and Steve did. But what neither of them knew was that Steve would be leading a group of five but only come back with four.

Amelia's anxiety began to take a toll of her. She decided to stay up the entire night in her blanket on the couch. Then she began to wait.

She waited for Bucky to come back and shower her face with kisses.

She waited for Steve to come back so that she can hug him for the very first time in a year.

She waited for the rest of the Howling Commandos so that she can place grateful kisses on their foreheads like Snow White did with the 7 dwarves. Corny but she was willing to resort to that if all goes well.

Concealed by the darkness of the hallway, Peggy went to check her friend. She smiled tiredly when she saw Amelia asleep on the couch with her head leaned against the large armrest. She also noticed Bucky's silver dog tags around Amelia's neck and the permanent worry etched on her face. Peggy sighed unevenly before entering her bedroom and settling into her bed.

Early in the morning, there was a knock on the door.

Peggy was already awake and in the kitchen, making her and Amelia some breakfast. When she heard the sound, she briskly made her way to the entrance. But Amelia beat her to the punch.

"I'm very sorry to tell you this at this hour but—" The man's words soon became garbled and both women refused to believe the words coming out of his mouth.

When the news hit her, Amelia remained silent. She stared emotionlessly at the man at the door. He wore a cheap gray suit which matched his pity-ridden expression. Her hand instinctively rose to hold onto Bucky's dog tags while the other held the door open. Peggy stood behind her with a hand on her friend's shoulder. Peggy and the man at the door were talking, but Amelia didn't hear anything. It was as if time had stopped and Amelia was the only one aware of it.

"Thank you," Peggy said to the man who nodded and started down the staircase in the apartment building.

She stepped back as Amelia mechanically closed the door. Her hand lingered on the metal doorknob before slipping off and limply hanging by her side.

It started with her shoulders shaking. Then, Peggy saw the tear drops drip down her face. It wasn't long until Amelia collapsed onto the floor with her body wracking with sobs.

"He promised!" Amelia screamed, ripping the dog tag from her neck and hurling it towards the other side of the room.

_This can't be happening. _

_Not him._

_Not Bucky. _

She felt like throwing up but the action never came albeit the unpleasantness invaded her body like a virus. Peggy tried to wrap her arms around her but Amelia wiggled out of her grasp.

"He promised, he promised!" Amelia repeated.

Her fingers were tangled in her hair, gripping so tightly that Peggy was surprised she didn't tear out any strands. Her heart hurt at the sight of Amelia and the dreadful sobs escaping her body, but she had to be strong for her. Peggy kneeled down next to her and after a few tries, she was finally able to pull Amelia into a tight embrace.

"It'll be okay, honey. It'll be okay." Peggy soothed.

Amelia rested her head on Peggy's shoulder, the sobs still rippling through her chest. It felt as if someone had ripped her heart from her chest and have it shatter onto the floor in a million pieces. She held onto Peggy with all of her remaining strength, muttering incoherent words into Peggy's shirt.

"He can't be gone. He can't be." Amelia hiccupped, her grip tightening around Peggy's waist.

"I know, sweetheart… I know." Peggy whispered. She continued muttering reassurances into Amelia's ear but her friend's words faded into nothingness.

_I'm not gonna leave my best girl behind. _

_I promise I'll come back to you. _

_I promise. _

_I promise. _

_I promise. _

"Come back to me." Amelia whimpered inaudibly before her eyes drooped and she fell into sleep.

She dreamed of her and Bucky on their first date, just laughing and dancing the night away.

She dreamed of his smile.

She dreamed of their very first kiss. She could almost feel his soft lips brush against hers.

It was almost like he had never left, and Amelia hoped that in the morning, she would find him laying down next to her with a sleepy smile plastered on his face.

When she awoke in the morning, her eyes met with the vacant side of her bed.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: At the beginning and at the end of the chapter, you should listen to "End of the Line" by Henry Jackman from the CA:TWS soundtrack. It basically helped me write this chapter and get the feel of things. Hope you enjoy! Favorite, follow, and review! **

Amelia despised funerals. She hated the suffocating atmosphere. She hated the looks people would send her. She hated the condolences she would receive from people that didn't even know Bucky. They were all empty promises and apologies from people that came to keep up appearances. Apparently, a death of a person didn't matter to them but their social lives did.

Bucky's funeral wasn't exactly an official one. Since there wasn't a body to bury and they were currently in a different country than their own, they decided they'd do a remembrance instead. Steve would be the one who was going to take care of the arrangements back in New York. He knew way before Bucky left for England, Bucky would have wanted to be buried back in Brooklyn. It was his home, and he was damn sure that he didn't want to be buried anywhere else.

It's a shame how that turned out.

By the time the remembrance was over, Amelia couldn't wait to get home and slip back into her bed. She would pretend Bucky was on the other side, snoring away like a freight train. But Amelia knew that she would be met with silence. Steve tried to reach her before she drove away in her car, but she was gone before he could find her. She had ignoring him the whole day which prompted Steve to believe that she blamed him for his death. It was a farfetched conclusion but by the way she acted today, he had reason to believe.

Her fingertips brushed the glossy side of the photo strip delicately before picking it up with both hands. Amelia settled herself on the edge of the bed, removing the annoying black gloves from her hands. She smiled weakly as her teary eyes examined the sepia-stained photos on the white strip of paper.

A few weeks ago before Bucky's last mission, Amelia took Bucky for a night downtown. It had been a while since she had time alone with him, and she was happy to take advantage of his temporarily free schedule. After they had eaten dinner and watched a film at the movie house, they continued down the sidewalk with her hand intertwined with his.

_"__Oh Bucky, look!" She exclaimed excitedly. Before Bucky could comprehend what was happening, Amelia dragged him by the arm and ran to the photo booth that was stationed against a family diner. _

_"__Please?" Amelia pouted, fluttering her eyelashes and folding her hands together. Bucky rolled his eyes and laughed but fulfilled her wishes by sliding into the photo booth after her. _

_"__You're lucky I love you." He scrunched his eyebrows together as she entered some coins in and pressed the button. _

_"__Cheese!" _

The photos consisted of mainly silly poses: Amelia sticking her tongue out and Bucky making a disgusted face in the camera. They had stopped the weird expressions to take two nice photos and saved the best for last. At the last second, Bucky pulled Amelia closer to him and pressed his lips against hers. Amelia was surprised for a moment but just before the camera flashed, she relaxed and coiled her arms around his neck.

"I miss you so much." Amelia whispered, blinking back a few tears. A stray drop rolled down her cheek but she was too tired to wipe it away.

Sniffling, she tucked the photos into her jewelry box and placed them back on the top of her drawer. She smoothed out the soft fabric of her dress and stood up, walking into the bathroom to freshen up. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her hazel irises appearing predominately green than brown. She cupped her hands underneath the cold running water and lightly splashed her face in an attempt to erase her fatigue.

"You'll be fine." She reminded herself. "It'll be okay."

No matter how many strong faces she pulls or words she says, she couldn't lie to herself. Shaking her head, Amelia pushed away from the sink and headed towards her closet to change into comfortable clothes. The dark material of her clothes reminded her of death, and that was the last thing she wanted to be reminded of today. She decided on a long-sleeved forest green top with silky brown pajama shorts. She pulled her hair out of her elastic and brushed through the tangled curls with her fingers. After removing the remnants of her makeup from her face and eyes, she wrapped a fluffy blanket around her body and dropped like a rock onto her bed.

An hour had passed, and Amelia was still awake. She could hear loud honking of cars and the faint playing of jazz music in the distance. She tried shutting her eyes and waiting for sleep to take over, but nothing worked.

There were faint footsteps outside of her room but Amelia ignored them and squeezed her eyes shut again. The footfalls were getting closer to her door and when they finally stopped, Amelia heard an exhausted sigh. Oddly enough, there was a second set of feet shuffling across the floor.

"Is she awake?" Amelia heard a soft, masculine voice wearily ask. She recognized the voice as Steve's.

"No." Peggy's voice answered. "She's had a rough day too." Steve didn't respond.

"Just tell her that I said sorry. For everything." Steve muttered, the words struggling to sound even. Amelia felt a tear drip across her nose and onto the pillow, thudding quietly.

"You can tell her that tomorrow. For now, how about you head back? You need all the rest you can get." Peggy suggested, her hand grasping the door handle and soundlessly closing Amelia's bedroom door.

Amelia waited until their voices became nonexistent and she was sure that Steve had already left through the front door. Carrying the blanket around her body, Amelia waddled to Peggy's bedroom and gently knocked on the doorframe.

Peggy was at her vanity removing her makeup before turning back to discover the cause of the knock. She sighed in relief when she noticed it was Amelia. Peggy could have laughed at the sight of her friend whose body was drowned out by the massive weight of the blanket but when she looked up to see her reddened eyes, she knew it wouldn't be right.

"Hi." Peggy breathed, trying to remove her makeup and pay attention to Amelia at the same time. Amelia stood at the doorway, sniffling imperceptibly and swaying back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"Are you feeling?" Peggy asked. Amelia answered with a sniffle and a lazy shrug.

"Did you need something?" Peggy's voice sounded nurturing, as if she were a mother speaking with her child after they had a nightmare. Amelia relaxed her shoulders and shuffled across the room. She perched herself on a chair, pulling her knees up to reach her chest.

"Can I stay in here for the night?" Amelia asked in a low tone. She didn't want to start crying again but the pain across her chest made it difficult. "I don't want to be alone."

Peggy sent her a slanted smile. "You'll never be alone."

"Johann Schmidt belongs in a bughouse," Colonel Phillips retorted, briefly examining a map on the wall before turning back around. "He thinks he's a god and he's willing to blow up half the world to prove it, starting with the USA."

"Schmidt's working with powers beyond our capabilities." Howard stated, walking into the meeting and taking a seat to the right of Steve. "He gets across the Atlantic; he will wipe out the entire Eastern Seaboard in an hour."

Amelia was lingering in the background with slight hesitation. It had been a while since she was in headquarters. Everything around her reminded her of Bucky. Peggy sent her a fleeting glance before shifting back in her seat to pay attention to the group.

_You can do it, Amelia. _Amelia sucked in a deep breath and moved to join the rest at the table.

"How much time do we have?" Her voice cracked a little from not being used in a while.

She could sense their surprised stares but she ignored them and focused on Howard who was wearing a similar expression. Instead, Colonel Phillips replied.

"According to my new best friend, under 24 hours." Amelia felt her headache worsen as the bad news kept coming.

_When is it ever going to stop?_ She thought irritably.

"Hydra's last base is here," Colonel Phillips informed, pointing to a picture of a group of snowy mountains. "In the Alps. 500 feet below the surface."

He tossed the picture onto the table which provoked Amelia to grab it and examine it shortly before handing it to Morita who was seated in front of her.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Morita asked, sounding emotionally and physically tired. "I mean it's not like we can just knock on the front door."

"Why not?" Steve spoke up. Everyone pivoted in their seats to face Steve who was still staring hard at the files in front of him.

"That's exactly what we're gonna do," Amelia exchanged a weary look with Peggy who donned a similar expression.

Something bad was going to happen again.

"Well, it's your call, Cap." Colonel Phillips nodded, signaling the end of the meeting.

Everyone simultaneously stood up and resumed their original jobs while Steve remained at the table, staring blankly ahead. Amelia motioned for Peggy to wait for her and grabbed the chair Howard was originally in. Steve glanced up at her for a moment before looking back down.

"It wasn't your fault." Amelia whispered, her eyes avoiding Steve's.

Steve scoffed sullenly but didn't say anything. Amelia was slightly worried that he was angry at her for even mentioning it. But regardless, it was the only thing they could actually talk about.

"I could have saved him." Steve finally said lowly. Amelia noticed his eyes were still puffy and red around the corners. Without hesitation, Amelia reached her hand out and clasped onto one of Steve's fists.

"For the past few days, I kept blaming myself for his death. I kept thinking to myself that if I had just stalled him for a minute or something that he could've avoided the mission and…" Amelia gritted her teeth and tried to control the waterworks from starting up again. "But then I realized that if I keep blaming myself for something out of my control, it would eventually drive me crazy." Steve sniffed but finally linked his fingers in between Amelia's.

"He was my best friend," Steve croaked. "He didn't deserve this."

"I know." Amelia whispered. She tried to smile for Steve's sake. "Then make it up to him and kick Hydra's ass." Amelia joked feebly. Her weak smile became more genuine when she saw Steve's lips curl up.

Without another word, Amelia stood back up and pulled Steve into a tight embrace. He was surprised at the sudden action but instead of questioning it, he returned the favor and wrapped his arms around her. It had been a while since they were this close, and Steve wasn't going to screw it up this time.

Amelia pressed a gentle kiss against Steve's cheek before heading back towards Peggy who held a proud look on her face. She was obviously happy that her two friends finally made up, even if it was because of horrible circumstances. But nonetheless, they were okay again.

"Everything's alright?"

Amelia turned back to look at Steve who pushed himself off the chair and went to join the others at the other side of the room.

"We're working on it."

Amelia watched as Steve situated himself on his motorcycle in his Captain America uniform, complete with the Vibranium shield. She held her breath as he started up the bike and drove off, his figure disappearing into the thick fog.

"Are you ready?" Peggy's voice cut through the prolonged silence. Amelia nodded, taking her eyes off of the road and back to Peggy who held the door open for her.

Amelia exchanged her regular SSR uniform for a pair of trousers, a dark leather jacket, and military boots. She enfolded Bucky's dog tags in her hand, staring down at them with a conflicted look.

"This is for you, James." She whispered and slipped the chain around her neck, tucking the chain beneath her shirt. Peggy handed her a gun which Amelia placed in the holster attached to her leg.

They were now waiting in the forest with their bodies hidden behind shrubs and thick tree trunks. Before they could swarm the Hydra base, they needed the signal from Morita that they were able to get inside.

"We're in! Assault team go!" Amelia heard Morita's voice through the telephone Colonel Phillips had pressed against his ear. Her grip on her gun tightened but she stood her ground next to Peggy as the soldiers raced through the forest.

"Is it too late to go to the bathroom?" Amelia jested nervously. The British agent shook her head in amusement and started following Colonel Phillips and the rest with Amelia trailing behind her.

When they reached the base, they were immediately bombarded with Hydra agents. Amelia crouched down behind a tank, holding her gun up and waiting until the gunfire ceased to twist around and send bullets into the Hydra agents' chests. She watched in horror as soldiers were blasted with a blue light and were instantly vaporized.

"What the hell?" Amelia whispered to herself. She shook the dreadful image from her mind and started crawling across the ground in search of a possible entrance into the base.

A string of explosion went off, sending Amelia flying into a tree. She hissed in pain and held her stomach with one hand while propping herself up against the tree with the other. Spitting out chunks of dirt from her mouth was now officially her least favorite pastime. As soon as she stood up, streaks of pain shot up her body, and Amelia knew there was going to be bruises on her back later.

"Amelia!" Amelia sighed in relief at the familiar voice calling for her. She tried to mask her pain with a blank expression but her friend saw right through her disguise.

"Are you okay?" Peggy asked worriedly. Amelia tried to shrug but the throbbing bruises on her shoulders and back made it hard to do so.

"More or less but don't worry about me." Amelia grunted and grabbed Peggy by the arm. "Come on, they're already inside!" The two agents hurried inside, avoiding the ricocheting bullets and the mysterious blue vaporizing lights.

"Cut off one head, two more shall—" One Hydra agent shouted as he approached Peggy and Amelia. Before he could finish the sentence, Amelia sent a bullet into his head.

"Let's find those two other sons of bitches." Amelia grunted, pulling her gun back.

The two agents met up with Colonel Phillips and the others and started searching the hallways for Steve. In the distance, Amelia heard something metallic thud against the walls.

"Down there!" She shouted, motioning for the others to follow.

When Amelia skidded to a stop, she pulled out her gun and directed a chain of bullets at the Hydra agent. Some bullets made their way into the man's pyroweapons, and they effectively burst into flames. Amelia sighed in relief when the agent fell dead to the floor.

"Move out!" A soldier commanded and one by one, the soldiers disappeared into another hallway.

"You're late." Amelia rolled her eyes as Steve approached her with a tired smirk, stopping mere centimeters away from her. Amelia glanced awkwardly from side to side before meeting Steve's intense gaze.

"Weren't you about to—" Amelia asked, motioning in the direction where Steve was trailing Schmidt. Steve seemed to shake out of his trance and nodded shortly before grabbing his shield from the door and vanishing from Amelia's sight.

They weren't close to finishing off Hydra, and Amelia was almost out of bullets. She concealed herself behind some cargo boxes, occasionally eyeing someone from Hydra and shooting them in the head. She knew it wasn't going to be long until she was left with an empty gun and a box as a shield.

Then as if God had answered her prayers, Amelia heard her name being called in the distance. The lingering anxiety had simmered down when she noticed Colonel Phillips and Peggy in one of Schmidt's cars, frantically motioning for her to get into the vehicle.

As if her life depended on it (and it literally did), Amelia shot up from her hiding spot and darted for the backseat of the car, attempting to dodge the blue strobes of light that missed her by an inch.

"Drive!" Amelia yelled as she threw herself into the back, her feet still dangling outside the car when Colonel Phillips floored it. She swung her legs over the edge and held onto the car for dear life as they sped towards Schmidt's airplane.

"There's Steve!" Peggy tapped Colonel Phillips. He nodded and stepped a little harder on the gas pedal. Just as Steve's running came to a halt, he slammed on the brakes and stopped right next to Steve.

"Get in!" Steve obeyed and as soon as he was in the passenger seat, the car raced down the runway to catch up the colossal Hydra plane. The doors at the exit of the hangar began opening and Colonel Phillips felt like it was the right time to turn on the turbo speed. Amelia's stomach disagreed.

"Keep it steady!" Steve lifted himself on the seat, preparing himself to leap onto the plane. Amelia's eyes widened in fear and instinctively, she grabbed onto Steve's arm.

"Wait, Stev—" She began to say but was interrupted by Steve spinning around and connecting his lips with Amelia's. The kiss ended as soon as it started, and Amelia was left with an erratic heart and permanent look of shock.

Steve gave her one last look before latching his shield on the back of his uniform and carefully leaping onto the wheel of the plane. Colonel Phillips gave the car a sharp turn but the car continued speeding backwards. Amelia let out a scream as they progressed closer to the end of the runway. Her heart felt as if it could jump out of her chest at any moment, and her breathing became heavier and heavier.

Suddenly, the car jolted to a stop and Amelia can feel the back of the car teetering on the edge of the cliff. Warily, she and Peggy turned around to watch the airplane descend into the sky, Steve nowhere in sight. Amelia took in a deep breath and looked on hopefully as the plane faded into the cluster of clouds.

"Morita said we'll be able to access a connection with the airplane upstairs. We'll talk to Steve that way." Peggy informed her once they headed safely inside.

This time, it sounded like Peggy was trying to assure her rather than tell her the mission plan. Amelia was shaking like a leaf; not only because it was freezing cold and she left her jacket in Schmidt's car, but because she was terrified for Steve.

"Okay?" Peggy said again, earning a small nod in return. She guided Amelia up the stairs and into the control room.

It felt like forever until they were able to get a connection but Amelia was relieved when Steve's voice came through the receiver. Amelia couldn't help but hear Steve's nervous tone.

"Come in, this is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?" Morita was about to answer but Amelia rushed over and nudged him out of the way.

"Steve!" She asked worriedly, running a trembling hand through her hair. "Are you alright?"

"Amelia, Schmidt's dead." Amelia closed her eyes at the sound of the good news, but she knew there was more to it than that.

"What about the plane? Can you make a safe landing?" Amelia rambled, staring down at the receiver expectantly. There was a slight pause before Amelia heard Steve's voice again.

"That's a bit tougher to explain." Steve answered hesitantly. Amelia could hear buttons being pressed and switches flipping.

"Give me your coordinates. We'll find you a safe landing site." Amelia stammered. She could feel her heart beating through her chest, and she was surprised no one else could hear it.

"There's not going to be a safe landing." Steve said with finality.

"What do you mean? A-a-are you alright?" She tried to remove the negative thoughts that were prodding at her brain.

Amelia glanced over at the others who were no longer in the room. Peggy was waiting uneasily at the door while the rest were settled outside.

"I'll try to force it down." Amelia shook her head briskly, staring at the controls nervously. Her hands hovered over some controls and switches but soon fell limp to her sides.

"This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York."

_No._

"I gotta put her in the water." Amelia blinked away the heavy tears that fell from her eyes.

"Please, don't do this." Amelia pleaded. "We still have time. We can do something about it." She could almost visualize Steve shaking his head in defeat.

"If I wait, a lot of people are going to die, Ams." Amelia squeezed her eyes shut, balling her hands into fists. This can't be happening again.

"I can't lose you too." Amelia cried. She didn't even try to mask the sobs from her voice.

Steve dug through the pocket on his uniform and pulled out his compass, lifting the top to reveal a grainy photograph of Amelia. He stared sadly, his eyes scanning each detail of the photo.

He tried to remember the way her lips would curve into a smile even when she didn't mean to.

He tried to remember the way her eyes would look green one day and brown the next.

He tried to remember what she told at him the night after basic training that stuck with him through it all.

_Listen to me when I tell you that physical strength isn't the most important. It's strength of heart and the choices you make._

"Amelia…this is my choice." He said, each word laced with conviction.

Steve took a hold on the control wheel and pulled the plane downwards. He could see the ocean glistening below, the sun rays reflecting off of each wave. This was it.

"Amelia." He could hear her sniffling on the other end.

"Yeah?" Her voice shook as she spoke. Steve gulped back his fears, glancing back to her smiling face on the photograph in the compass.

_It's now or never, Steve_.

"I haven't been completely honest with you." Steve stammered. Amelia let out a humorless laugh.

"Are you serious? That's what you want to start off with?" Steve allowed a tired smile on his face. His breathing became more labored as the ocean and ice were getting closer and closer.

"Ever since that night at Camp Lehigh, I haven't stopped thinking about you." Steve took in a deep breath, trying hard not to imagine the horror on her face. "I know it's wrong of me to say this to you but I can't die knowing that I never told you."

The weight on Amelia's chest was growing heavier. "Steve, what are you—"

"Amelia…I—" Amelia's ears met with static.

She stared down at the receiver in shock. "Steve?" Her voice seemed lower than a whisper.

Nothing.

"Steve?" She said more urgently.

Nothing.

"Steve!"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Don't worry, the story is not over! I still have a lot of ideas for Amelia and the rest but I'm not sure if I'll update regularly since I'm waiting for CA:TWS to come out on DVD so I can use that for my story. I might go into the Avengers but I'm not sure how much I'll be writing about it since Amelia isn't going to be showing up during the Avenger action. But nevertheless, enjoy! Thank you guys for everything! Favorite, follow, and review!**

The war was finally over.

People were shouting gleefully, throwing their arms around each other and kissing each other's cheeks. Flags were raised in the air and newspapers were being flung about. Peace was finally upon them.

A woman passed through the crowd, swerving from side to side to avoid being elbowed in the face and stepped on by the horde of people. She concealed her eyes with thick, black sunglasses and shoved her gloved hands into her coat pockets.

If only they knew.

But they ignored Amelia's presence, thinking she was just part of the crowd.

But she didn't cheer.

She didn't clap.

She knew too much to be clapping or cheering.

She trudged through the dense collection of people and pulled into an empty street. Once she escaped the throng of folks celebrating, the atmosphere turned cold and silent. Only the sound of her heels clicking against the asphalt filled the air. Amelia continued towards her apartment building, striding carefully on the steep staircase and pulled out her keys from her purse.

As the door opened with a soundless swing, Amelia took in a deep breath and took one step inside. It had been a while since she's been home. Her house was just how she left it; all of her mail and bills were on the kitchen countertop, stacked in a neat pile thanks to Mrs. Jensen. All the lights were turned off except for a small lamp in the corner of the room. She turned to her head to the right as she took off her sunglasses, and her heart ached at the sight of wilted yellow daisies.

He knew yellow was her favorite color. He knew that daisies were her favorite flowers. Yet she knew nothing about him. She knew he was from Brooklyn and was born on Independence Day. She knew that his best friend was Bucky and that they shared an apartment together after Steve's mother died. She knew he was an amazing artist. But that was all. She didn't know his favorite color or his favorite flowers. She didn't know what his parents were like or what his childhood was like.

Sighing, she gently touched a fallen petal before putting her keys in the bowl. Amelia shrugged off her coat, walking towards the counter and flipping through the stack of mail. In the middle of her sorting through mail, she noticed a plain brown box on the kitchen table. With her eyebrow raised in a curious manner, she strolled over and lifted the top off.

Inside were all of Steve's things that he left behind. She smiled weakly at the sight of his sketchbook that was worn out at the spine with the pages crinkled and smudged with pencil markings. Impulsively, Amelia looked through the sketchbook and gazed at the beautifully drawn pictures etched on the pages. She admired his drawings of buildings, the sky, and a few flowers. She held in her tears as she glanced at a sketch of Bucky and Steve. They had their arms around each other's shoulders and Bucky was messing up Steve's blond hair.

Then the next paper caught her eye.

For a second, Amelia thought it was a picture, and she was scared that it was going to get ruined if she tried to touch it. It was a drawing of her sitting at her desk, filing paperwork like usual. But Steve put so much emphasis on her and only her. The pads of her fingers barely grazed the soft surface of the paper when there was a knock at the door.

Thinking it was Peggy coming over to talk, Amelia pushed away from the kitchen table and moved forward to unlock the door. But it wasn't Peggy.

"Who are y—" Amelia began to ask with panic dripping from her voice. But before she could finish her sentence, the mysterious man shoved a cloth on her mouth and held her struggling body in his arms. Amelia tried to pry his hand off her mouth but the man was a lot stronger than she was. The man towered over her by a foot and his muscular arms could easily squeeze her to death.

The last thing she saw before she blacked out was the blood-red patch sewn on the man's black jacket.

_Hail Hydra. _

**2011**

_"__Curve ball, high and outside for ball one." _Steve opened his eyes, his long eyelashes brushing against the tops of his cheeks.

_"__So the Dodgers are tied, 4-4." _He glanced up at the plain, white ceiling. Was he in a hospital?

_"__And the crowd well knows that with one swing of his bat, this fellow's capable of making it a brand-new game again." _Steve scrunched his eyebrows together at the familiar words playing over the radio.

He visualized himself at a Dodgers game, sitting next to Bucky and watching with hopeful eyes as the pitcher threw the ball.

"_Just an absolutely gorgeous day here at Ebbets Field. The Phillies managed to tie it up at 4-4." _His eyes began to scan the room in search of some familiarity.

It looked like the hospital room he was in when he had to get blood drawn after Dr. Erskine's death. The ceiling fan was moving at an incredibly slow pace, the three blades making a quiet droning sound. Steve pulled himself into a sitting position on the bed hesitantly, apprehension invading his body.

He was in the ice, he thought to himself. How'd he get here? He continued listening to the radio, almost mouthing the words to himself as the narrator commentated the plays. He heard the cheers on the radio grow louder and louder, making him turn around in awe.

_I know this game. I was there. _

Suddenly, the door screeched open and a woman stepped inside. She reminded him of Amelia in the uniform, but this woman had longer hair, a thinner face, and darker eyes. She smiled sweetly at Steve who just stared at her blankly, threading his fingers through the fabric of the blanket.

"Good morning," She greeted but looked down to check her watch. "Or should I say afternoon." She stood in the middle of the room, holding her hands together and continuing to grin at Steve.

Something wasn't right.

"Where am I?" Steve questioned, his hands placed by his sides.

"You're in a recovery room in New York City." Her words sounded too rehearsed.

_"__The Dodgers take the lead, 8-4. Oh Dodgers!" _Steve twisted around to listen. "_Everyone is on their feet. What a game we have here today, folks. What a game indeed."_

Now Steve was 100% sure that it was a lie.

"Where am I really?" Steve asked again harshly. He could hear the woman gulp before placing a counterfeit smile on her face.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." She chuckled nervously.

"The game; it's from May 1941. I know, because I was there." The woman's face slipped into a tense look. Steve stood up from the bed, walking dangerously slow towards the woman.

"Now I'm going to ask you again." Steve snapped. "Where am I?" From the corner of his eye, he saw the woman pull out a small device and press a button.

"Captain Rogers." She said softly, trying to ease away his anger but Steve jerked forward.

"Who are you?!" His voice rose and at that same moment, two men dressed in strange black uniforms barged in, Steve eyeing the guns in their holsters.

As they tried to grab him, Steve twisted them both around and slammed them against the wall which crumbled to pieces.

It was all fake.

Steve jumped across the broken plaster and surveyed the building around him.

The window wasn't real. The room wasn't real. Nothing was real.

"Captain Rogers, wait!" The woman shouted but Steve ignored her and burst through the double doors.

He came to a stop in the hallway, hearing the woman's voice echo through the air. He stared in awe at the place before running away from the agents who turned around at the alarm and began chasing the super soldier. Steve barreled through an agent as he continued down through the building and out the front doors.

But what he saw inside wasn't anything like the outside world.

All around him were bright lights and giant electronic screens displaying the same images over and over again. His heart raced in his chest as he stopped in the middle of the street, circling around to gape at the new sights. The buildings and cars were all different compared to the ones he had back home.

_Home._ Steve thought.

He definitely wasn't home. It was like a bad retelling of the Wizard of Oz, starring himself.

A pack of black cars pulled up in front of Steve who was paying more attention to the world around him than to the people crowding around him.

"At ease, soldier." He heard a deep voice behind him.

Steve spun around and saw a man in a black trench coat with a matching eye-patch approaching him. Different agents surrounded Steve, speaking into things that looked like walky-talkies and trying to block the view from civilians that stopped to watch what was going on.

"Look, I'm sorry about that little show back there, but we thought it best to break it to you slowly."

_Break it to me slowly_, Steve voiced internally. _Break what to me?_ He felt sick to his stomach, and his breathing was becoming heavier and heavier.

"Break what?" The man paused for a while, looking at Steve carefully before he began explaining.

"You've been asleep, Cap. For almost 70 years." His harsh look softened.

Steve's eyes widened with disbelief. He took his eyes off of the mysterious man and took in all of his surroundings. New York was definitely a different place than it was back in 1943. The buildings all looked like skyscrapers, and everyone was dressed so differently. Steve faced the man again, his mouth opening to say something but the words failed to escape.

"You gonna be okay?" The man asked with slight concern.

"Yeah." Steve feigned reassurance but it sounded broken and despondent. "Yeah, I just…"

_I left my best girl behind_


	11. Chapter 11

_"__War! With the forces of darkness pressing in from the east, from the west. America heeds the call to fight for freedom! And at the front of the fight, shoulder-to-shoulder with our battling boys is Captain America!"_

Steve watched blankly as the black-and-white video played, showing clips from World War II and footage from his old missions. He had one hand folded underneath his chin while the other waited patiently on the mouse pad. His eyes drooped sadly at the footage of him and Bucky fighting alongside each other with grins on their faces. He could almost hear Bucky shouting joking remarks at him as they punched the living hell out of the Hydra agents.

Then a clip he wasn't ready to see came on.

It was during the time of Project Rebirth and Steve had walked into the testing site with Peggy. He hadn't even noticed someone was recording. The younger Steve was looking around nervously at all of the people around him who were secretly judging him from the corner of their eyes.

He felt a stinging sensation in his chest as Amelia appeared on the screen, shaking hands with Steve and giving him a reassuring smile. The smile that he missed dearly.

That's when he turned off the video. He stared at his reflection on the darkened computer screen, his features turning colder.

Steve kept to himself mostly, not bothering to go out and explore the new world. Besides going out to eat and sketching buildings and people around him, he stayed inside his apartment that Nick Fury provided for him. It was a quaint living space, a place he would have pictured himself living in back in the 40s. It's just that he also pictured himself living with someone else.

Steve closed the laptop and pushed it aside, placing a stack of documents in its place. SHIELD had provided him with it along with some of his belongings they found in someone's apartment. They didn't elaborate whose apartment it was but Steve brushed it off and took them with a heavy heart.

_James Morita. _Deceased.

_James Montgomery Falsworth. _Deceased.

_Howard Stark. _Deceased.

He stumbled upon Peggy's file and was surprised but relieved that she was still alive. He now had a person he can finally talk to. Steve eyed the landline telephone in the corner of the room and contemplated whether or not he should call her. He didn't know if she'd pick up or even believe that it's him on the phone. Regardless, Steve decided to wait until he was truly ready to do so. He placed Peggy's file to the side and hesitantly picked up Amelia's. His eyes focused on the information in the top section instead of the middle, trying to block out the harsh red letters on the page.

_Amelia Elizabeth Marie Richards. _

_Daughter to Robert and Marian Richards (both deceased)_

_Born on January 17__th__, 1921 in Richmond, Virginia. _

_Agent of Strategic Scientific Reserve (SSR) and assistant to Dr. Abraham Erskine in Project: Rebirth._

Then his eyes fell on the word he was dreading to see.

_Deceased. _

**Somewhere in Russia; 1946**

**(PLEASE READ THIS) This is probably going to have a trigger warning just in case for violence. **

Amelia saw darkness. That's all there was in the room; darkness. She could smell the musky stench of mold on the tiled floors and walls. Her sad excuse of a bed was a dirty mattress flung onto the floor, settling in the corner of the room. But she never slept. She would lay with her eyes open, staring into nothing. Her mouth was gagged with a dirty cloth, and her wrists and ankles were bound together by a type of rope. Every time she would rub them together to try to escape, the rope would send electric shocks through her body. Eventually, she stopped and lied down on the disgusting mattress, hopeless and starving.

She had no idea how long she stayed there in the room. Amelia vaguely remembered being shoved into an airplane (or at least it sounded like an airplane) and the swooping feeling in her stomach when the aircraft took off. But a tight cloth was tied around her mouth and eyes so that she was unaware of her surroundings. Then, she found herself in the room where she would remain for nearly four months in horrible conditions.

The metal door swung open and the light that escaped into the dark room blinded Amelia in the eyes. Amelia's whimpers were muffled by the cloth but were still audible. Two heavily-built guards marched in and grabbed her hands, forcing her upright. Her knees buckled weakly but the guards continued dragging her out of the room by her elbows.

They reached a room containing strange equipment and something that looked like a bed in the back that resembled something at the hospital. Amelia drowsily surveyed the room as the men moved her on top of the bed and began strapping her legs and arms in.

"What are y-y-you doing?" She stammered. The men ignored her and continued securing the entrapments with a deadpanned expression. She noticed a group of scientists crowding around a table, muttering frantically in what sounded like Russian. Amelia tried to clear her throat but nearly choked on the dried blood in her mouth.

"So," She flinched around to find a small man in circular spectacles staring at her in wonder. "You've found my newest subject." The woman couldn't place his accent but guessed that he was either German or from somewhere else in Europe.

"Excuse me?" Amelia mumbled. The man didn't answer her and instead, starting plugging wires into different pieces of equipment and reading a packet of papers that was on the desk.

"You'll do just fine," He grinned manically, showing his hideously yellow teeth. "Turn her around." He commanded to the same guards who were standing stoically at the entrance of the room.

Her eyes widened in fear as the men obeyed and gripped Amelia by her waist, tossing her over onto her stomach. The woman yelped as she felt old wounds reopen and the purple bruises on her body ache in agony. Her cheek was pressed against the surface, making her face towards the right. At first, her mind didn't notice it but as she squinted in curiosity, Amelia realized there was another person in the room. It was him.

"Bucky?" She whispered.

The man on the medical bed stirred in his sleep but he remained unconscious. His skin was a raw red, and she could see distinct dark circles around his eyes. A doctor approached the side of the bed and pulled out an electric saw. When she heard flesh being torn through, she had the sudden urge to vomit. Her face paled of color when she saw a bloody stump instead of his left arm.

"Bucky!" She wanted to scream, but the exclamation was blocked out by the rough palm of one of the guards. The small man smiled while the aforementioned guard forcibly twisted her face to the side so that she was facing them.

"You will be Hydra' s greatest weapons. You have the potential to create nuclear war, to rain fire upon our enemies! You are destined for great things, Amelia Richards." The man stopped to chuckle, eyeing her entire body as if she was a prize he had been given. "But first, reprogramming."

With that being said, he slipped a needle containing a clear liquid into the IV tube. The effects came instantly, and she could feel her whole body fall weak under the drug's power. A groan escaped her mouth when numbness overcame her senses.

"Put in the prototype. Wiping begins right after." The man ordered in German. The guards obeyed and proceeded to turn Amelia over on her stomach without a care.

Amelia's head bobbed back and forth as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. But at the moment, everything was blurry. She heard the metallic chinking of scissors behind her and soon, the back of her shirt was cut in half. Her heart raced in her chest as she heard more metallic-sounding things being set up in the back. There was slight pressure by her shoulder blades but suddenly, she felt something stab into her back. A scream built up in her throat but not even a whimper escaped.

"Comfortable?" The man appeared with an ugly smirk.

Her face contorted from agony but she was silent, her mouth opening to let out an inaudible scream. She squeezed her eyes shut as they fitted two pieces on both sides of her head and shoved a mouthpiece in between her teeth. The man kneeled beside her and smiled contently, his hand resting on her shoulder. Amelia suddenly jerked back, trying to remove the man's grimy hand off her skin.

"Anything you wish to share before we begin, Ms. Richards?" He started off happily. He flinched back when he felt the saliva-coated mouthpiece fly into his face.

"You're going to pay for what you've done to me and Bucky. They'll find you." Amelia proceeded to spit in the man's face. But the man simply pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away at the bloody saliva clinging to his face.

"That's alright." He stood back up and nodded towards someone behind Amelia who was manning the wiping device. "You won't remember you said that. In fact," He paused to force the mouthpiece in between her teeth. "You won't even remember a thing."

Amelia's eyes widened in panic as the man behind her pulled a red lever and the small man in front of her went to watch by the door. Just like that, a frenzy of shockwaves surged through her skull, the pain instantly unbearable.

This time, she was able to scream.

Bucky's eyes flickered open at the sudden shriek, and he groggily turned his head in search of the noise. His vision was foggy due to the massive amount of drugs they administered him but with a few blinks, the world around him became clearer. Pangs of fear spread throughout his chest when he noticed the unfamiliar setting. He was surrounded by doctors who were scribbling down information on their clipboards, not taking any notice in him. Right when Bucky looked to the left, he saw Amelia.

"Amelia?" His voice was scratchy and hoarse, as if someone rubbed his vocal cords with sandpaper. A doctor noticed Bucky's revival and tried to push Bucky back down on the bed. After all, they hadn't attached the cybernetic piece yet.

Bucky heard the doctors yell to each other in German, but he didn't pay attention. He tried with all of his might to push away the guards and rush over to Amelia who was still convulsing in the chair. When one guard lunged for him, Bucky swung with his left arm (or what was left with his left arm." His eyes nearly bulged out of its cavities when they landed on the stump of an arm. Bile rose up in his throat, but Bucky forced himself to bear through the discomfort.

"Amelia!" Bucky felt a sharp pricking sensation on his neck, and his screams became duller and duller until they were nonexistent. The Hydra guards let go of his body, allowing the soldier to hit the ground with a heavy thud.

"Please wait your turn, Mr. Barnes." The guards lifted Bucky off the ground and shoved him back down on the operating table where the doctors began with the cybernetic attachment.

"What is her name, Dr. Zola?" A doctor with Amelia's file approached the small, Swiss man who was watching intently as the machinery came to a stop and Amelia's screams fell silent. Her back was bloodied and red from the physical trauma, and her arms were hanging by her sides off of the chair.

A smirk came upon Dr. Zola's lips when the prototype that was inserted by her shoulder blades came whirring to life, the robotic appendages extended outward naturally.

_Just like a bird's. _He thought proudly to himself.

"Label her file The Valkyrie."


	12. Chapter 12

Everything was strange. The trends and clothing people wore were outrageous; Steve didn't understand the concept of having pants sag low to the ground. He noticed people would be out with family members or their friends but their eyes were glued to their phones. Whether it was texting or talking on the phone, Steve just noticed how disconnected the world was now. Back then, he had to ask to play outside even though he would end up getting beat up by the neighborhood kids. But Steve refused to believe there were only bad things in the world.

"Hi, again." A waitress smiled as she caught sight of Steve sitting down at the table. Steve lifted his head up and nodded in acknowledgment. He wasn't trying to be rude. He was just having another bad day.

"You okay?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. Steve sighed inwardly but he knew better than to ignore the woman.

"I'm fine, thank you. Today's just not a good day for me."

Today was the day he met Amelia; even though it felt like days since he's seen her.

The waitress slanted her mouth in understanding. She was still standing there with a pot of coffee in her hand and her other hand tucked inside her apron.

"You've been here every single day and I still haven't caught your name." She grinned. There wasn't any flirtation in her tone; just genuine curiosity.

Steve smiled at her. It was just a polite smile, one that didn't quite reach the potential of a real smile but one that was good enough.

"Steve Rogers," He introduced, extending his hand towards her. Her eyes widened with surprise but she didn't hesitate to shake his hand. Steve couldn't help but notice her hand lingered in his a little longer than he liked.

"Such a gentleman. Most men I meet pull a James Bond or ask for my phone number." She laughed, not catching Steve's obvious look of confusion.

Who was James Bond? Steve tried not to ask her who that was. He wasn't sure if this James Bond guy was someone important in society but he didn't ask. Mainly because he didn't want to look stupid.

"I'm Alyssa." She greeted back.

She glanced back at the diner and after confirming that her boss wasn't looking, she took a seat in front of Steve. Steve was a little taken back about her straightforwardness but he decided not to comment on it.

"You don't have your sketchbook today." She pouted. Steve raised an eyebrow before he looked down at the table and realized that he did indeed forget his sketchbook. He didn't know whether or not to commemorate the woman for remembering that little detail about him.

"Guess I didn't feel like drawing today." Steve squinted when he noticed something flying high in the sky. It looked like a man but the super soldier wasn't too sure. Alyssa noticed him looking which prompted her to turn around in her seat.

"Tony Stark always does that." Alyssa laughed, twisting back around to face Steve who had a look of recognition on his face.

He remembered that name. Tony Stark's file was with Howard's but Steve barely read about him. He primarily focused on his friends' file; especially Amelia's even though the dreaded red words were still stamped onto the paper.

Alyssa could see the lack of interest on Steve's face but she continued talking to him, occasionally turning back to check if her boss was oblivious of the fact that she wasn't doing her job.

"You new here or what?" She asked, placing her interlocked hands on the table.

Steve thought for a moment. This was still New York. It was still his home. It was just slightly different than what it was back then. By slightly, Steve means 'a lot'.

"Not really. I lived here when I was a kid but I moved to…" Steve paused for a moment. "Richmond, Virginia."

"Nice, I've never been to Virginia before. Why'd you move back?" Alyssa questioned. Steve almost laughed at how interested she sounded but he had to reel himself back from being rude.

"Let's just say it was like I woke up and I found myself here." Steve tried to joke but it came out sounding bitter. Alyssa didn't react to his sarcasm; that or she didn't notice it.

"Everything's a lot different though." Steve gazed at the cars and the giant electronic screens that were on the sides of buildings.

_I wonder what Amelia would say if she was here. Probably something on the lines of "If I'm Alice and this is Wonderland, someone has a horrible sense of humor." _

"I could show you around if you'd like!" Alyssa's chipper tone brought him out of his trance. Steve still seemed dazed so Alyssa repeated herself. "There's a whole bunch of places we could go to. My treat."

Steve wanted to deny her offer, and he stammered like an idiot to try and do so. He could hear Amelia's laugh in his head.

_Jeez, Rogers! Were you this articulate with me? _

Alyssa's face started to falter but before she could leave, Steve stopped her.

"Sure, I'd really appreciate that." Her falling smile perked up, and she pushed herself out of her chair.

"Meet me here tomorrow after my shift?" Alyssa commanded in a joking manner.

She winked before spinning around and serving the other customers who were a bit annoyed that she was preoccupied with Steve than to their orders. Steve let out a short breath before getting up from the table and making his way to the gym for a quick workout.

**1956**

"Awaken."

Her body felt like ice but she didn't gasp when the warmth of the room hit her ice-cold skin. They began connecting an IV into her arm, pushing her back on a chair and checking her vitals. Everything was different. She couldn't remember anything.

_What's my name?_

_Where am I? _

Her eyes were drooping tiredly although she felt as if she was pulled out of a limitless sleep. There were scientists bustling around the room, scribbling words on pieces of paper and tucking them into manila folders. Mysterious men in professional suits watched her from afar, puffing out rings of smoke from their cigarettes.

_Why does this feel so familiar? _

A heavily built man with a thick beard smoking a cigar approached her, smirking maliciously as he surveyed her body. People in lab coats inserted colorless liquids into her IV and repeatedly checked the monitors behind her. So far, nothing extraordinary was happening.

"The Valkyrie is reacting positively to the serum infusion. One more injection and she will be perfect." A scientist sighed proudly at his work.

The woman in the chair didn't say a word. Instead, she stared hard at the plain white ceiling. It was almost like she was in a permanent trance. She didn't even react to the multiple needles they were injecting into her neck and arms.

"Where are her wings?" The man with the cigar questioned mockingly.

For where he was standing, she looked average. Her hair was a bit overgrown and tangled, the dirty brown tendrils resting a little below her shoulder blades. Her once-frostbitten skin was now pale with touches of pink on her cheekbones. Her lips were chapped and a pale pink shade. All over her body was stitched up wounds and old scars. When the woman was first brought into the base, her skin was perfectly unharmed. It made the Russian man curious as to how she got those markings.

"The Vibranium connectors have melded into her bones, and the metal fibers have linked with her nerve endings. It's almost like any other appendage. She can activate them by herself and she doesn't even know it yet." A scientist informed with admiration in his eyes.

"So the wings are…inside her." The Russian man asked.

The scientist nodded. "They are made of Vibranium, one of the strongest metals on Earth."

"Remarkable." He stalked forward, puffing out a ring of smoke into the woman's face. She didn't flinch.

"You are Hydra's newest invention, yes?" She didn't respond. She didn't let out a small gasp when the man struck out and backhanded her across the cheek.

"Why isn't she talking?" The Russian man shouted at the scientists and doctors. They tried to explain to the man but he seemed to talk over their chatter.

"She's useless." The man complained in Russian.

"She has just gotten out of a cryogenic freeze. It would be a miracle if she could react normally to any kind of stimuli right now."

The fat man scoffed in amusement. "She is nothing. Now the Winter Soldier!" He cackled. "He proved to be a better experiment than she; started right after he was brought out of your cryo bullshit. The only place this mutant belongs is in my bed as my personal entertainment."

No one seemed to notice the woman stirring in her seat.

The straps that tied the Valkyrie into the chair ripped open with a flick of the wrist, and the Valkyrie slipped out of the leather seat. The scientists stared in awe as she strode forward like lightning and grabbed the fat man, slamming his body to the ground with ease.

_Kill, kill, kill. _

She lifted her leg and slammed her heel on the man's leg, effectively breaking bone. Everything was happening so fast, and the Valkyrie didn't blink once.

_Kill, kill, kill._

The man gasped for air as her hand made its way to his throat and began squeezing. Her sharp nails dug into his Carotid artery, and her hand proceeded to slash forward, tearing out a chunk of his throat.

_Kill, kill, kill. _

The woman heard banging sounds and slight pressure in her abdomen. She casually glanced down and saw two clean bullet wounds marring her skin. Ignoring the bloody mess beneath her, she pulled her hand back and dug her fingers into the bullet holes, successfully pulling out two silver bullets. Smirking devilishly, she eyed the nervous Soviet soldier with dead eyes and started stretching out her back, feeling the Vibranium blades pierce through her flesh.

_Kill, kill, kill. _

Arching her back slightly forward, she sent five blades soaring through the air. All of them reached their target.

"It's perfect." A scientist whispered in awe as the Valkyrie's wings slipped back into her body, leaving behind two bloody slashes on her back.

The woman said nothing; she didn't even flinch at the stinging pain left by the metal blades. She stood up from her crouching position, glancing emotionlessly around the room at her work. All of the Soviet soldiers that were accompanying the fat Russian man were dead, their necks impaled with her blades. The scientists were frantically rushing around the room to clean up her mess and reset the equipment she knocked down in her rage.

"Schmidt would have been proud that another Valkyrie has been born amidst the destruction of the first." He gaped at the woman who was now staring at her bloodied fingers. "You and the Winter Soldier will make history. Hydra will live on."

The scientist approached the Valkyrie with a crazed grin. His fellow colleagues silently warned him as he got too close to the woman but so far, the man still had his neck intact.

"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place." This time, the woman's dull brown eyes lifted up and glared at the balding man.

"Hail Hydra." She hissed in a dangerously low voice.

**Present**

_Explosions._

_Planes zooming in the air. _

_Her eyes staring back into his. _

_Her voice speaking calmly into his ear. _

_Bucky falling off the train. _

_"__The choices you make."_

_"__Amelia….I-" _

With one final punch, the punching bag went flying in the other direction with sand spewing onto the wooden floor. Steve panted aggressively, hearing his heart beat rapidly in his ears. His hands were sore from hitting the punching bag too hard but he didn't care. He needed some way to get the anger out. He couldn't sleep because then there were the nightmares. As Steve moved forward to hang another punching bag up, he heard a voice.

"Trouble sleeping?"

Steve ceased his punching and turned to find Nick Fury standing by the door with a folder in his hands. He was wearing his signature dark trench coat along with his matching eye patch.

"I slept for 70 years, sir. I think I've had my fill." Steve grunted as he continued throwing hard punches to the bag.

"Then you should be out celebrating. Seeing the world." Fury walked out of the shadows. Steve panted and scanned Fury for a brief second before removing the wrappings around his right hand.

"I went under, the world was at war. I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost."

"We made some mistakes along the way. Some, very recently." Steve couldn't help but notice Fury's gaze fall to the floor.

"You're here with a mission sir?" Steve asked in a professional tone as he started on the wrappings on his left hand.

"I am." Fury informed. Steve nearly scoffed.

"Trying to get me back in the world?" He heard the flapping of the manila folder, and Steve was handed the file. His blue eyes glanced down, his face instantly hardening at the sight of the familiar blue cube. Steve took a seat on the bench, examining the documents very carefully.

"Hydra's secret weapon," Steve voiced out loud. Fury nodded in confirmation.

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking at you." Fury added as Steve pulled out a black-and-white photo. "He thought what we think the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

Steve put the documents back into the folder and handed them to Fury. "Who took it from you?"

"He's called Loki. He's not from around here. We also believe there's another person working with him but we've yet to discover who it is." Fury's gaze fell to the floor again.

Steve raised an eyebrow but didn't ask any questions. He had a feeling that Fury will fill in the gaps of information when he gets his full cooperation. But Steve wasn't even sure he wanted to be a part of their fight.

"There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world's gotten even stranger than you already know." Steve almost scoffed.

"At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me." Steve pushed himself off the bench and started collecting his things to leave.

"Ten bucks says you're wrong." Nick countered as Steve walked up to the punching bag and threw it onto his shoulder. "There's a debriefing packet waiting for you at your apartment." Steve continued towards the door without another word.

"Is there anything you could tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?"

"You should have left it in the ocean." Steve said coldly, pushing through the doors and leaving the Director of SHIELD in the gym alone.

Fury glanced down at his cell phone when he felt it vibrating in his pocket.

"This is Fury." He spoke blandly.

_We have visual on the Valkyrie._

Fury felt his blood run cold. "Haul her ass in but keep her alive. I need to talk to the little she-devil."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hopefully, you guys can read it properly now! A big thank you to one of my readers for mentioning it to me!**

Steve woke up the next day at 3 in the morning. It felt like there was a steam hammer in his chest, and his brain was pounding in his skull. Almost every day since he was found in the Arctic, Steve had difficulty staying asleep. Nearly all of his dreams were the same. He saw Bucky falling off Zola's train, his best friend's screams blaring in his head like a fire alarm. He saw Amelia's face staring at him, and he could hear her voice right before the plane crashed. Then Steve would wake up in a cold sweat and any plans of falling back asleep were gone.

By the time he got up, took a shower, and got dressed in his usual attire, the sun was beginning to raise high in the sky. Steve ran a tired hand over his face as he trudged to the kitchen to make a glass of orange juice. He leaned against the kitchen counter and occasionally sipped the juice, glancing through the open blinds of the window. He could see the morning dew on the grass and the grey clouds dissipating to make way for sunlight.

He turned away for a moment, and his eyes went straight to the files on the table. The Tesseract file was already open with the picture of the shining blue orb glaring hard at him. It was almost like it was taunting him, saying "You know how you keep telling yourself that you're away from the problems of the past? You thought wrong!"

SHIELD gave him a few days to overlook the files and decide whether or not he was ready to get back into "Captain America-mode" as Fury worded it. Steve could occasionally pick up the phone and press in the numbers to call but he never had the courage to dial the number. The last thing he wanted to do was wake up in the wrong time and find out that the battle you worked so hard to overcome is still alive and well.

Steve sat down at the table and started examining the Tesseract's file in front on him on the table. It explained how the Tesseract was believed to be the source of unlimited energy and essentially the power of the gods. Steve found that part to be a little farfetched but nonetheless, he continued reading. The documents went on to talk about how Johann Schmidt was able to get ahold of it and used it to create weapons that could wipe out an entire country within minutes. Then after the Hydra plane crashed into the Arctic, Howard Stark sent off on an expedition to find the Cube and Steve. But he only found one.

After staring blankly at the papers before him, Steve flipped the folder close and drew Amelia's file closer to him. Pain pinged through his chest, but Steve couldn't help but read her papers once more. Although it didn't make him feel better inside, her file gave Steve comfort and a sense of familiarity whenever he read her life story.

Steve must have looked at Amelia's file more than a hundred times. No matter how many times he denies it or how he wishes it was a filing error (which would be extremely horrible), the word 'deceased' was still marked on the paper. A weak smile would appear on his face as he shuffled through more pictures of her Fury graciously put into the folder for Steve. (Or did Coulson do it?)

One was of her when she was younger with her parents on a family vacation. The photo was extremely aged and blurred, but Steve could clearly see Amelia's smiling face. She must have been around 17 or 18 when the picture was taken, judging by how young she looked.

The other was her and Howard with their arms slung around each other's shoulders while holding up diplomas. It was her graduation day; Class of '39.

The last one was of him and Amelia at the testing site back in 1943. The photo showed the two of them talking with Steve gazing at Amelia sheepishly as Amelia greeted him and Peggy.

With a heavy sigh, Steve put down the papers and took ahold of the landline phone. He knew what he had to do and despite his reluctance, he had to do it.

"Hello?" Fury's gruff voice spoke into the receiver.

"Sir, this is Steve Rogers. I want in."

**Late October, 1963**

She felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she continued kicking and punching at the punching bag. Her back was sore from the Vibranium blades constantly tearing her skin and destroying muscle but the doctors told her that it was normal; that the tests they were going to run later was going to fix the problem. At the moment, the assassin was stuck in one of their bases until they could find out how to fix the wings from damaging her body any further.

It wasn't long until the men in suits sent her on missions. At first, she would collect intel from major government agencies and research companies but as soon as she showed true potential, they got her to kill. After that, Amelia Richards was gone. She was only the Valkyrie.

"Well, if it isn't the Valkyrie." The Valkyrie halted her impending kick to the bag. "I've heard so many stories about you, young lady." A voice belonged to a sharp-dressed man with thinning gray hair and a gold-capped molar. He didn't look particularly dangerous, but she could be wrong. She was wrong about the last one.

She stepped down from the ring and approached the man cautiously, keeping her mouth shut. The assassin wasn't known for being talkative; everyone who's watched over her knew that. No one was allowed to speak to her unless they were given special permission from the head, and she couldn't speak to anyone unless she was supposed to. If she put one foot out of line, it was straight to the Other Room.

She nodded respectfully but curtly. The bodyguards that came with the person stationed themselves at each entrance, their scrutinizing stares burning into her skin. The man grinned, taking a step towards a table and motioning for the Valkyrie to sit down in the chair in front of it. Without hesitation, she obeyed and stared blankly at the man.

"My name is Zachariah Merrill." The man introduced. "I've observed you ever since you were awoken last month." The Valkyrie remained silent. She didn't realize that Zachariah was expecting her to say something. But when he noticed she wasn't going to speak anytime soon, he continued.

"You have shown me - hell, the world! - you are indeed the greatest asset Hydra and the world's ever seen." He exclaimed. "But you've been stuck here for what? Two and a half weeks?! Doing nothing?! Preposterous!" Zachariah laughed hoarsely, his gold tooth winking brightly in his mouth.

"You were created to be the world's greatest weapon and yet you're stuck in here like a lab rat? You deserve more than what's you're getting, my dear." The asset's eyes were trained on the man's aged face. As he spoke, she was deducing little facts about him. Deducing a person's information before even meeting them was part of her skill set.

_American, most likely from the South due to his heavy country accent._

_Politician. Most likely senator of a Southern state. His almost nonexistent hairline screams Republican._

_Mid to late 40's; evident graying hair and signs of premature wrinkling around his eyes and mouth._

_Marriage soon to be terminated; cheating on his wife due to the distinct tan line on his left ring finger and the small ring-shaped bulge in his jacket's left pocket. _

_A moderate threat; easily disposed of if considered a threat. _

"I have a proposition for you that I'm hoping you'd consider." He waved a man over. Zachariah was handed a folder which he promptly pushed across the table towards the assassin. She glanced at the folder for a split second before looking back up.

"Мне это не интересно." She said blankly. Zachariah Merrill raised an eyebrow in confusion and glanced over at his bodyguards for help.

"She said she is not interested." One man translated.

Then the politician started laughing wholeheartedly, as if it was the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard.

"No?"

She remained silent. His fingers were tapping against the metal table, and the man was impatiently bouncing his knee up and down. He was about to insert another retort until the Valkyrie interrupted abruptly.

"Почему?" The Valkyrie asked. Once more, the bodyguard translated her Russian to Zachariah.

"You'll be a hero in the eyes of millions of people from around the world. You'll be the greatest thing the world has to offer." He explained, leaning forward as if his words were supposed to be life-changing for her. But she saw through it.

"Нет. Есть кое-что еще." Her voice sounded deadly yet she looked calm, her hands folded in her lap. The translator mumbled her words in English to Zachariah.

"There's no catch, I can promise you that." Then there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Unless you'd prefer the _other_ method. I have no problem with that."

Her jaw visibly tightened and the talons on her fingertips whirred mechanically, the nail tips sharpening to a lethal point. Zachariah smiled, knowing he hit a nerve in her. He knew that she was going to do it no matter what. Because either way, it was off to the Other Room anyway.

There was a moment of silence in the training room with the man smirking in satisfaction at the assassin's subtle wary expression.

"Who is my mission?" The Valkyrie switched to English. Her voice was low and gritted, as if she was holding herself back from doing or saying something she would regret.

Zachariah grinned wolfishly, pushing back the cover of the folder and revealed a black-and-white photo of a middle-aged man in a suit waving to a crowd of people carrying miniature versions of the American flag.

"Your task involves killing the President of the United States."

**Present Day **

Steve was overjoyed to be out of the quinjet. He was a polite guy and all but he couldn't help the discomfort he felt after Agent Coulson told him about his encounters with him while he was still unconscious.

"Wow." Steve mouthed, staring all around until the back opened and the two men walked down the ramp. Just as they reached the bottom of the ramp, Coulson acknowledged the redheaded agent approaching them.

"Agent Romanoff. Captain Rogers." Coulson introduced them. Steve nodded in her direction.

"Ma'am." The captain greeted politely.

"Hi." She replied in an airy tone. Agent Romanoff turned towards the other agent.

"They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face trace." She then leaned in further towards his ear, whispering something that Steve couldn't help but overhear.

"They got her." Agent Coulson's eyes widened but he reverted back into agent-mode in a matter of milliseconds.

"See you there." He nodded towards Natasha before heading in the opposite direction. Natasha eyed Steve for a quick second before beginning to walk again with Steve following beside her.

"There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was going to swoon." Natasha then turned to face him. "Did he get you to sign his Captain America trading cards?"

"Trading cards?" Steve questioned. It was still weird hearing things like that, but Steve had to remember that so much more happened in the world after the plane went down that he still needed to know.

"They're vintage. He's very proud." Natasha said in a slight teasing tone.

Steve noticed another man onboard, looking around nervously and trying to avoid getting into people's way as much as he can. It took a moment for Steve to recognize the man as Dr. Bruce Banner.

"Dr. Banner." Steve greeted, holding out a hand for him to shake.

Bruce nodded, shaking the soldier's hand. "Yeah, hi. They told me you were coming."

"Word is you can find the cube." Steve added.

"Is that the only word on me?" Bruce asked with an almost bitter tone. It looks like Steve wasn't the only one who was forced into the whole SHIELD business.

"The only word I care about." Steve said confidently. He could also sense Bruce's spirits lift slightly. Only slightly.

"Must be strange for you, all of this." Bruce said, motioning to the scenery around them.

"Well, this is actually kind of familiar." Steve replied when he saw a group of agents dressed in sweatpants jog in sync with one another. It reminded him of his time at Camp Lehigh. Despite the extensive training he had to withstand before his transformation, it was almost like home for him.

"Gentlemen, you might want to step inside in a minute." Natasha interrupted. "It's gonna get a little hard to breathe." She folded her hands in front of her with a small smirk on her face.

Steve resisted an eyebrow raise. Suddenly, there was a loud cranking sound, and the crew and agents on the platform became rushing around everywhere with a person on the intercom spewing out commands.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve questioned, stepping forward with curiosity. Natasha stood in the back, watching in amusement as the two men conversed and walked closer to the edge.

Bruce chuckled sardonically. "Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurized, metal container?"

As they reached the edge, they watched in awe as a giant turbine came roaring to life, rising through the water along with three more. The helicarrier began lifting in the air, making the two men stumble back.

"No, no, this is much worse." Bruce commented with a sarcastic smile.

Natasha led Dr. Banner and Steve into the main command center of the helicarrier, glancing at the men who were surveying the room with impressed expressions. Bruce went off in another direction but Steve didn't notice. He was too busy staring at the room and all the agents who were working diligently at their computers and bustling around with folders tucked underneath their arms. Steve smiled a little bit as he walked throughout with his hands in his pockets. Bruce was too busy trying to avoid contact with people mainly because he didn't want one wrong thing to happen and have the 'other guy' make a guest appearance.

"Gentlemen." Nick Fury greeted.

He approached the conference table towards Steve first. The soldier dug for some money and pulled out a ten dollar bill, handing it to Fury. With a short smirk, Fury pocketed the cash and headed over to Bruce.

"Doctor, thank you for coming." Fury extended his hand towards the scientist.

Bruce shook back, glancing towards the ground in an anxious manner. "Thanks for asking nicely.

For the meanwhile, Steve stared out of the helicarrier and at the gleaming sea below them. Steve turned away from the windows to head over to Bruce and Fury. He caught Coulson talking about how SHIELD had access to people's cell phones, laptops, etc.

"If it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us." Coulson finished with his arms crossed across his chest. Steve mentally noted how the world isn't so private anymore.

"That's still not gonna find them in time." Natasha sighed, crouching down next to a monitor that displayed a profile of an agent named Clint Barton. Steve could see in her eyes how much he meant to her. It also didn't help that Steve knew exactly what she was feeling.

"You have to narrow your field." Bruce shrugged off his brown jacket. "Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough off a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places."

Although Steve could only fully understand parts of what Bruce said, he understood the basics of it. Steve stood in his same spot while Natasha escorted Bruce to the lab area and Coulson got to work with calling the SHIELD facility.

"So, how's New York treating you, Cap?" Fury started, walking down the small stairs towards Steve.

Steve shrugged. "It's not so bad." And he left it at that.

"I have some more information about Agent Richards, if you would like." At the sound of her name, Steve's head shot up, and he immediately started following Fury to the computer monitors.

"Amelia worked at SHIELD?" Steve asked curiously. Fury shook his head no.

"Her information was documented into SHIELD but Ms. Richards never took part. After World War II, she needed to lay low after threats were made to her and her team." Fury explained.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows. "Threats?"

"Some followers of Hydra were still pretty loyal and made it their mission to bring down the SSR once and for all. It started with them making petty ransoms and threats." Fury stopped, turning towards Steve.

"And then?" Steve continued. Fury sighed, almost deciding against telling Steve. But the man needed to know because one way or another, he was going to find out.

"On September 4th, 1945, Agent Amelia Richards of the SSR was declared missing by one of her neighbors who noticed her front door was open." Fury recited.

Steve's throat tightened. His chest swelled up, and his heart beat loudly into his ear drums. His eyes watered and burned but the angry tears just couldn't leave his eyes.

"Why wasn't this on her files you gave me?" Steve forced out, glaring harshly at the man beside him.

"They were in her original files but after 15 years, those details were removed." Fury simply said.

"Was there anything documented after her disappearance?" Steve asked. Fury switched through tabs and stopped at one that was written years after she went missing.

"SHIELD went looking for her for a good decade and a half before they were threatened to be shut down; they were told they were wasting valuable government spending money on a missing girl."

Steve clenched his jaw. "But they never stopped looking for her." Fury turned to Steve, opening his mouth to say something but Steve beat him to the punch.

"I know Peggy and Howard. They would never abandon Amelia like that."

"Fury." The two men turned around to face Agent Maria Hill. "The Valkyrie's been detained."

"Get her settled. I'll have a chat with Ms. Metal-Feathers in a minute." Fury joked blandly. Agent Hill nodded in confirmation before disappearing down the hall with a few other agents.

"Who's the Valkyrie?" Steve asked just before Fury started for the hallway too. It sounded too much like Hydra to him. Fury stopped in his tracks, his shoulders visibly tense.

"Just a little problem I need to take care of." Fury said shortly, leaving the room with Steve by himself surrounded by people and equipment all foreign to him.

The blond man turned back to the monitors and continuing looking through her SHIELD file. It had all the basics on it such as her birthday, education, job history, etc. When he reached the part about her disappearance, his blood ran cold. The writing was cryptic and was only a paragraph long.

Then Steve thought about the Valkyrie. He remembered clearly that the Valkyrie was the name of the Hydra plane that he crashed in the Arctic those fateful years ago. The man couldn't help but think this Valkyrie figure had something to do with Hydra.

Steve already knew this person was going to be an even bigger problem than she already is.


	14. Chapter 14

**November 1963**

He was in her sight. He was smiling alongside his wife and started waving to the crowd of people lined up to see the President. How pitiful. The assassin was perched on top of a building with a sniper rifle in her hands. Another Hydra agent was settled behind her, making sure there weren't any distractions or wandering eyes around them. She didn't appreciate the idea of Merrill sending an agent to go with her on the mission but the Valkyrie didn't want to spend most of her valuable time talking technicalities.

"три." She whispered into the mic attached to her jacket, staring through the scope and angling the gun in the direction of President Kennedy as the car reached Dealey Plaza.

"два." She reached for the trigger.

"один." She pressed down.

She smiled menacingly as the bullet shot through the air and successfully hit her target. The assassin stood up, shoving the rifle into the hands of the Hydra agent who started packing up the equipment on the roof. Another mission completed. She could hear the crowd screaming in horror and faint police sirens in the distance as she headed towards the edge of the roof and stretched her arms.

The Vibranium wings tore through her Kevlar jacket and unfurled to reveal its full length. She held back a grimace and placed the mask on her face, feeling the metal ends lock onto one another at the nape of her neck.

"What do you want me to tell them?" The man stammered. The Valkyrie rolled her eyes at the clueless agent as she adjusted the goggles that concealed her eyes from view.

"Target acquired." She growled before leaping from the edge and letting the mechanical wings do the rest.

A few weeks had passed after the Valkyrie was transported back to the Hydra base by some of Merrill's security. At the moment, she was being escorted by two agents, their identities concealed with the infamous black helmets. The crimson red patches on their jacket sleeves glared into her eyes as the three meandered through the hall to the Other Room. The woman felt her gaze wander around the room, switching from the grimy stone walls to the office windows which were always covered by dusty, yellowed blinds. The agent holding her right arm jerked her to the right, making them turn a corner and continue down the hall. When they reached the end of the hall, she saw him.

He was around 6 feet tall, maybe an inch shorter, and dressed in all black. She swore from the corner of her eye, she saw his left hand gleam silver. His matted brown hair was beginning to grow past his ears in thick tufts. Unlike the Valkyrie, his face wasn't covered by a mask, and she could see a beard blossoming alongside his jawline. The man was intimidating to say the least, but he wasn't any different from other men she had faced in the past. She felt a subtle tinge in the pit of her stomach. She decided to ignore it.

Before her eyes could search the man's face even further, an agent gripped her hair and dragged her into a dimly lit room. She suppressed a hiss as they shoved her onto a familiar chair and clasped metal cuffs around her wrists and ankles. She could hear her erratic heart beat in her ears when she heard the familiar buzzing and electric humming behind her head.

"So you did it." Zachariah's voice boomed with glee. "You killed the President of the United States."

The Valkyrie could see his gold tooth gleam as he approached her with his hands clasped together. There was a proud look on his features but she was sure that it wasn't only because she accomplished his mission. She sat rigidly in the chair as he leaned in closer, his breath poisoning her nostrils.

"This is the part where I say goodbye and thank you all you've done, yada yada yada. Too bad you won't be able to remember it though." Zachariah faked a pout. "Pity."

The Valkyrie didn't even realize her eyes had widened until she saw her reflection in Zachariah's eyeglasses. "Wipe her. She mustn't remember a thing." His voice took on a demanding tone that was unlike his natural one. It was an evil tone; one that could only be birthed from Hydra.

"Вы сожжете." Her voice was below a whisper; shaking and trembling.

"What was that?" Zachariah's eyes flickered upwards to see the scientist position the device on both sides of her head.

She mustn't show emotion. She mustn't show fear.

_Don't let them see your pain. Don't let them see._

But of course, her thoughts were all for naught.

"Вы сожжете!" She started to scream, thrashing around in the leather chair and nearly ripping open the cuffs. Zachariah stumbled backwards when the assassin shrieked as the electric pulses started to surge through her brain.

"Вы сожжете! Вы сожжете!" Her screams were like a banshee's albeit they were muffled by the metal mask.

When they finally died down, silence hovered over the people like a suffocating blanket. The mask secured against her mouth opened with a clink and fell noiselessly to her lap. Her bottom lip was extremely cracked and layered with blood, both dry and fresh mingling with one another. Sweat slicked against her forehead and behind her neck with strands of stubborn hairs sticking against them. The room was silent besides the Valkyrie's quiet, pained groans.

Zachariah stepped closer, ignoring the doctors who desperately mouthed for him to stay away. Last time she was wiped, four doctors ended up with two blades in their throats. With one hand ghosting over the handgun behind his back and the other gripping the arm of the chair, he leaned in closer with his lips brushing against her ear.

"You are a weapon. You're a machine. You belong to Hydra." Her eyes were fixated on the blank wall as if she were in a trance. But her lips began to move.

"I'm a machine. I'm a weapon. I work for Hydra."

She was a weapon.

She was a murderer.

She was a machine.

_She was Hydra. _

**Present **

The figure was practically shoved into the holding cell, and she struggled to keep her balance since her hands were restrained by a pair of complex handcuffs. Her wrists were rubbed raw from the uncomfortable tightness of the metal restraints against her skin.

The cell wasn't exactly what the Valkyrie pictured it would be. She imagined the stereotypical iron bars and dingy bunk-bed pushed against the wall. She almost expected there to be a tiny drop of blood on the floor put there by SHIELD for intimidation purposes. The assassin repressed a snort as she pictured herself trying to dig her way out with a rusty spoon.

Instead, the cell was made of glass walls with a concrete floor. It was fancy for a holding cell but was still nothing too special. Finding herself bored of staring at pipes and control panels, the assassin nonchalantly sat down at the edge of the metal cot and waited for Fury to walk through the doors. She knew it had to be him.

The doors automatically slid open and in came the devil himself. He was still dressed the same way she'd left him all those years ago: an entire black outfit complete with a matching trench coat. Of course, the eye patch was new. When she left him, he was busy clutching his left eye in agony and firing out curses and threats to the woman.

"Valkyrie…after all these years." He began to pace around the cell with his hands crossed behind his back. The Valkyrie held an unimpressed look as he moved to the glass right in front of her. "I would say it's nice to see you again but considering our past, it's pretty far from that."

She remained silent, but Fury could see the amusement in her eyes.

"Well, I won't bullshit you. If you try to escape SHIELD custody _again,_" He turned to the control panel and pressed his hand against a screen.

Suddenly, the floor beneath the cell opened, and a rushing sensation blew through the room. She could see the ocean glistening and the wispy clouds passing beneath. Her breath caught in her throat but thankfully Fury couldn't see due to the mask secured on her mouth.

"I think you get the gist of it." He said blandly. She remained voiceless, only sending the director a sharp glare.

"I see you're still silent. Just like old times." Fury chuckled humorlessly. "That's probably my favorite thing about you. Hell, my only favorite thing about you." He saw the assassin roll her eyes as she stood up from the bed and walked closer to the glass wall.

"So any last thing you'd like to share with the class?" Fury asked sarcastically, motioning briefly to the corner of the room.

Her eyes shifted from him to the other side of the room, and she noticed a small security camera positioned in the wall. To the normal human eye, it would have been almost impossible to detect. But she wasn't a normal human being.

Arching backwards, her wings burst through her skin and sent a blade whizzing in the air. The knife torpedoed towards the glass wall in front of Fury. It created a small web of fissures around it, but the glass wasn't cracked all the way. The assassin knew these glass walls were made to withstand anything so a tiny silver knife wasn't going to do severe damage.

"Uh, uh, uh." The director scolded mockingly and pointed back to the control screen. "You might not want to pull that shit with me."

With a stubborn grunt, the Valkyrie trudged back to the cot and brought her knees up to her chest, her head leaning against the glass behind her.

"You need anything else, your Highness? A magazine, nail polish, movie?" She didn't reply.

Fury scoffed, tucking his hands inside his coat pockets and disappearing from the room, oblivious to the fact that the Valkyrie had begun sawing away at the handcuffs with the sharpened talons on her fingers. But he had her, and there was no way she was going to be walking out of the helicarrier anytime soon.

"Romanoff, you're on in 20." Fury ordered as soon as he stepped foot in the command center again.

Natasha nodded stiffly before turning back to the monitor and examining more files on Clint Barton with another agent beside her. Steve was standing near one of the workstations, his arms crossed as he listened to Coulson talk about his trading cards. It was nice that there were people who still looked up to him to this day, but Steve was suddenly getting very tired of hearing about Captain America. No one referred to him as Steve anymore but only as his World War II persona.

"I mean, if it's not too much trouble." Coulson said, worry slightly lingering in his voice.

Steve shook his head politely. "No, no. It's fine."

He started staring into space with an awkward atmosphere weighing down on him and the agent.

"It's a vintage set." Coulson added proudly. "It took me a couple years to collect them all."

Not noticing Steve's silence, Coulson continued on.

"Near mint." Steve tilted his head to the side so Coulson didn't think he was ignoring him. "Slight foxing around the edges but…"

Before Coulson finished, he was interrupted by Agent Sitwell.

"We got a hit. A 67% match!" Agent Sitwell turned to look back at the monitor. "Wait. Cross match. 79%."

"Location?" Coulson snapped out of his Captain America fanboy stage back into agent-mode.

"Stuttgart, Germany. 28 Königstrasse." Agent Sitwell recited, zooming in on the map. Two photos popped up: one of Loki and the other of a lavish building that look like a gala of some sort.

"I guess our special guest can wait a little longer." Natasha sighed deeply before pushing herself out of her chair and starting down the hallway to her designated room to change into her uniform.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows, glaring hard at the photograph of the man. Despite the simplicity of his outfit, he looked out of place with the other people. The other thing Steve was worried about was the fact the god was out in the open with hundreds of people present.

"Captain." Steve turned around to face Fury who was eyeing him from the top of the steps. "You're up."

With a short nod, Steve followed another agent to a room where they kept his new uniform and shield. The hallway was the same Fury took to see the Valkyrie so with curiosity, Steve glanced through the two-way glass to see the assassin sitting with her knees against her chest. She looked like she was in deep concentration but suddenly, her eyes flickered upwards. Cold, brown eyes met with clear blue.

They were unknown to him, but he didn't look away until the agent tapped him on the shoulder and motioned him into the room.

**1972**

She didn't sleep. She would lay there with her eyes fixated on the ceiling, her mind numb. It had been two days since she woke up. She was greeted with a man named Zachariah Merrill who claimed he had "big plans" for her. She had no idea who this man was, but the sharp pinch in the pit of her stomach told her otherwise.

Her back stung profusely from the blades although the cuts weren't as bad as last time's. But they still left ugly scars, as if she were mauled by a large animal. Her hair was recently cut to her shoulders; they simply pulled her hair into a ponytail and took a pair of scissors and started snipping. It was choppy in some area but it was a haircut nonetheless.

She spent most of her time exercising in the training room and sparring with other agents. There was always a specific time for when she could be in the training room and for when she had to be out. It irritated her whenever they interrupted her workout sessions but after being threatened with the Other Room, the Valkyrie kept her unspoken words to herself.

No one was allowed out of their rooms after hours, period. There were constant security guards surveying the hallways and rooms, their flashlights shining through the crack underneath her door. The Valkyrie would record how long they would patrol her hallway and which hallways they would patrol after hers. She knew they were most likely monitoring her with a secret camera hidden in the walls but after a quick but extensive search, the assassin found nothing.

After she saw the Hydra guards disappear into the other hallway, the assassin snuck out of her room and closed her door soundlessly. Her bare feet were barely audible against the concrete floor, and she expertly held her breath as she pivoted into different hallways.

Suddenly, a light shone through the hall next to hers and she effortlessly slid inside an empty room. With her breath held, she pressed her body against the wooden door and waited for the guards to pass the hallway. The two guards, oblivious to the assassin leaning against the wall, continued muttering bad Russian jokes to one another as they surveyed the hallway. After finding nothing out of the ordinary, their voices disappeared into another corridor.

She let out a long sigh and ran a hand through her greasy hair. She wasn't nervous about the guards; in fact, she could have easily kicked their asses and made it back to her room before anyone heard them. But she knew that either way, Merrill would know it was her and drag her to the Other Room without another word.

Her eyes wandered around the room, realization only hitting her until a minute later. She was in the file room. All around her were cabinets and cabinets galore, stuffed to the brim with files and documents ranging from missions to government information.

Her fingers instinctively opened a cabinet and began flipping through folders. She had no idea what she was looking for in the first place, but she had a feeling that there was something in the room that belonged to her.

The Valkyrie was taught that identities were of no import; that the mission was the only thing that matters in the end. But the urge for finding her file was becoming more intense by the second.

She squinted at the tabs on the manila folders as she brushed through them. None of them were marked Valkyrie or anything related to that name. They were numbered and were followed by random letters. She must have searched through a million files in a matter of 5 minutes. She was on the last folders in the very last file cabinet but there was nothing. She fought the urge to smack the cabinets to the ground and burn all the files that contained nothing about her. That was until her eye caught sight of something tucked underneath the panel of the cabinet. It was almost unnoticeable but the Valkyrie saw a tiny edge of a folder sticking out from underneath. Carefully, she lifted the cabinet out and placed it on the table, removing all of the folders along with the false bottom. There were two aged folders without any labels. 

She looked on curiously at the folder. The Valkyrie grabbed the first folder she found and flipped it open.

_Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. _

_Born March 10__th__, 1917 in Shelbyville, Indiana. _

_Member of the Howling Commandoes and the 107__th__ infantry._

"James Buchanan Barnes." Her voice no longer held bitterness or coldness that it usually had. This time, her voice was quiet and childlike. Her heart thumped faster in her chest when she glanced at the picture paper-clipped at the bottom of the folder.

It was a sepia-stained photo of James clad in a typical military uniform.

This was the first time the Valkyrie had associated a person with being 'extremely handsome'.

_And very familiar,_ she thought to herself.

Something slipped from the folder and dropped to the floor with a soft clink. With a bemused eyebrow raise, she brushed her fingers against the object and lifted it up with her left hand. A sharp pain surged through her veins when she focused on the object with great concentration.

_"__I want you to have these." Bucky whispered, grabbing her small hand with his large one and dropping the dog tags into her palm. Her hazel eyes widened in shock. _

_"__Bucky, are you sure? I might lose them." She made a slant with her mouth. The pad of her thumb touched Bucky's name that was engraved on the metal tag. Bucky smiled down at her with a cheeky, crooked grin._

_"__I want the love of my life to wear it." His voice was low again, devoid of humor. _

_His attention was focused on her and her only. Amelia lifted her head up to look at him, her face drained of color. This made the soldier worried. Bucky started to stammer, afraid that he said it too early or that she didn't feel the same way. Before his words became coherent, Amelia lifted his chin up with two fingers and leaned in to connect her lips with his. _

_"__I love you too, Buck." She murmured between kisses, coiling her arms around his neck with her legs tangled with his. _

The Valkyrie shook back into reality, a heavy gasp escaping her lips. She nearly smacked herself for being too loud. Fearing the guards have heard her and were on their way to the file room, the Valkyrie carelessly shoving the documents of James back into his respective folder and instinctively slipped the dog tag chain around her neck, hiding the metal beneath her shirt. She turned to the last folder on the table. With shaky hands, she turned the cover over and began reading.

Her eyes widened in fear and shock as soon as they met with the photograph paper-clipped at the bottom.


	15. Chapter 15

Fragrant tendrils of steam filled her nostrils as she poured more coffee into a customer's glass.

"Here you go, Ethel." Alyssa smiled warmly. The elderly woman smiled genuinely at the brunette before turning back to her husband and continuing their hushed conversation.

Alyssa made her way to the break room, untying the apron around her waist and removing the hair tie that held up her wild, curly hair.

The time was 11:54 a.m.

_Only 6 more minutes. _Alyssa thought to herself.

She applied a copious amount of lip balm to her lips, sprayed a good amount of perfume on her neck and wrists, and fixed the eyeliner that smudged underneath her eyes. After fixing what needed to fix, Alyssa looked decent enough despite a couple of coffee stains on her dark-wash jeans.

"Bye, Miguel! See you tomorrow!" Alyssa exclaimed sweetly, her keys jingling in her hand as she waved goodbye to the overweight and balding manager of the diner.

He looked as if he was going to protest to her leaving so early but the woman was out the door before the words could form.

She took in a deep breath and smiled contently as a cool breeze blew into her face. Her heeled boots clicked against the concrete sidewalk as she dodged incoming people and headed towards the outside part of the diner where she had met Steve. It was already 12:03 but the man wasn't there. She leaned against the whitewash fence, patiently tapping her foot on the pavement.

30 minutes had passed and still no Steve.

From the corner of her eye, Alyssa could see a familiar man dressed in dark clothing approaching her. The man made his way to the fence, stopping a few feet away from her. He leaned against the fence in a casual manner, paying no attention to the woman beside her. She pretended not to notice the gun tucked inside a hidden holster and the earpiece stuffed inside his ear.

"No sign of him?" He muttered quietly.

The words came out so fast that it looked like he didn't say anything at all. Alyssa scoffed and played with her keys, staring out into the heavy traffic plaguing the New York streets.

_It's gonna be a bitch to drive home now. _

"Nada. What does Pierce want with someone like Steve Rogers? He's like a 90 year old man trapped in a 26 year old body. Not to mention he's practically sweating patrotism." She grimaced.

The man looked at her strangely which she answered with a careless shrug. "What? This isn't the first time I've read about Mr. Star-Spangled Man With A Plan bullshit."

"He's a threat that needs to be taken care of." The agent cut her off. "And Pierce thinks it's best if we attack him with his weakness."

"What's that Rumlow?" She asked with a lack of interest.

"Love." Alyssa laughed at Rumlow's serious tone.

"I think you've been watching too much 'Once Upon a Time', Rumlow." He glanced at her in confusion but she ignored him and concentrated on losing her laughter. "Gosh, SHIELD really effs you up, doesn't it?"

She promptly ignored the sharp glare Rumlow sent her from the corner of his eye. "Why not call in the asset to finish the job for you?"

"He is only to be called in a time of great importance. We've already lost one asset; we don't need to waste another." Rumlow said with finality, his voice leaving no room for question. "Is that clear, _Jennifer_?"

Alyssa rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Aye, aye Captain." She answered sarcastically. She turned on her heel and made her way to the parking lot to her car. The two continued on with their day, acting as if their conversation never happened.

The Valkyrie was almost finished with the restraints until she heard loud footsteps passing her room. She watched curiously as a group of agents guided a tall, long-haired figure through the hallway.

_Loki._

His cold eyes captured her attention, and the assassin growled internally at the sight of his malicious grin stretching across his pale face.

_Kill. _

The Valkyrie twisted her neck from side to side in an attempt to discard the insidious thought from her mind. Her eyes shifted upwards once more, only to find Loki and the agents gone.

The assassin remained isolated in the holding room; her bored eyes watching the blades of a fan revolve in a circle on the ceiling. She would often hear a faint commanding voice over the intercom call out names of different agents or some other things that the Valkyrie didn't care to acknowledge.

The Valkyrie gritted her teeth as she fixed her posture. She could feel the blood from the open wounds soak through her black undershirt. Her muscles were sore from the agents forcibly sending her wings inside her back with some kind of device of theirs, and there were distinct lacerations all over her body. The cuts on her back and arms were concealed by her Kevlar jacket, but the Valkyrie felt as if they were on display for everyone to view. The facial marks, on the other hand, were unfortunately out in the open for show. The metallic taste of blood annoyingly lingered in her mouth and teeth.

The double doors opened and a familiar redheaded agent strolled inside, clad in her black SHIELD uniform. The prisoner noted the familiar red symbol on the agent's belt, and underneath the metal mask, the Valkyrie smiled menacingly.

"Long time no see." Natasha's raspy voice was devoid of any emotion.

The ex-Russian spy was always good at concealing her true feelings, but the Valkyrie knew her better than anyone else. The last time the two assassins had seen each other, it was a mission in Moscow, and Natasha was a foot shorter than her.

"Natalia Alianovna Romanova." The Valkyrie chuckled darkly, her voice sounding prominently Russian. But Natasha could tell she was originally American. Natasha clenched her fists by her sides but kept a cool and collected expression on her face.

"I see you've managed to get out of your entrapments." Natasha pointed out, her eyes flickering to the prisoner's hands that were expertly concealed behind her bent legs.

The Valkyrie's stare remained blank. Although she was surprised that Natasha had only found out after 30 seconds.

_Disappointing,_ she muttered to herself.

The Valkyrie finally scoffed. Without a care, she threw off the restraints and aimed them towards the glass wall. Unfortunately, the glass still didn't break the way she had been hoping it would. She clenched and unclenched her hands into tight fists. She took a moment for her fingers to enjoy their brief freedom. The talons on her fingertips were sharpened to a lethal point with the tiny metal shavings from the entrapments sprinkled on the tips. Natasha cleared her throat, directing the Valkyrie's attention onto her.

"As much as I and everyone else at SHIELD would love your head on a stick, Fury needs you alive." Natasha walked closer to the cage, stopping a foot away from the glass. "Given your history with SHIELD, you should know that we will get the information from you in one way or another."

The Valkyrie suddenly stood up, her legs a little shaky due to being stationary for several hours. Her walk was almost as deadly as her cold, dull stare. She stopped in front of Natasha and placed an arched hand on the glass, the talons scratching against the glass. Natasha grit her teeth at the horrid sound.

"How did you come across Loki in the first place?" Natasha spoke over the dreaded scratching noises. The Valkyrie lifted her hand from the glass, mockingly sending Natasha a smile. But of course, she couldn't see the assassin's grin because of the mask.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Natalia." The Valkyrie simply said. Natasha held back her urge to open the holding cell and punch the living shit out of her. But patience is virtue.

"We have evidence of you conversing with one of his people a few weeks ago in Germany." The redheaded agent pulled out a device and displayed the images on the screen. "Not to mention the look on your face when you saw him inside the helicarrier."

"That man means nothing to me." The Valkyrie hissed. "He is not worthy of the Tesseract."

"What, and you are?" Natasha retorted. "Why do you even care about the Tesseract? You're made for mass killings and stealing would someone like you suddenly care about unlimited energy and want the Cube for yourself?"

The prisoner kept quiet. Suddenly, Natasha found out why.

"You weren't doing it for yourself, was it?" The Valkyrie faced away from the Russian. "It was for Hydra."

The Valkyrie hissed. "Never speak of that name again."

At that moment, Natasha switched the projected image into the video of the Valkyrie's detainment. The familiar-sounding chant grasped the Valkyrie's full attention.

"_Hail Hydra! Hail Hydra!" _The Valkyrie took in a shuddering breath and started backing away to her metal cot, promptly sitting down on the edge.

"When you're ready to talk, don't be shy." Natasha abruptly turned around and made her way to the conference room where the rest of the team was. She disappeared from the room, her red hair standing out against a sea of brunettes and blondes in the hall.

Inside the cell, the Valkyrie was focusing on calming herself before she fell into a full panic atack. Her eyes burned from staring at the blinding white floor for too long, and her chest felt like there were weights crashing down on it. Natasha's threat and the video kept prodding at her brain.

_We will get the information from you in one way or another._

She feared the worse. She feared that SHIELD was going to shove her into the chair and watch as the robotic machinery whirred to life and shoved themselves against her head, sending shockwaves throughout her body. Her neck slightly twitched to the side, a slight pressure pushing against her cranium.

The video stayed alive in her thoughts. Since that day 6 months ago, the Valkyrie wanted to be done with Hydra. But she knew they were coming for her, and Hydra always had a way with finding people.

Russian curses were muttered underneath the mask as the searing pain spread and lingered throughout her entire body. It wasn't long until she ripped the metal device from her mouth and shoved her face against her knees to repress her hisses.

In the conference room, the Avengers and Fury were situated at the conference table. Thor was standing up and staring blankly at the floor, all dressed in his Asgardian armor. Tony Stark had arrived a few minutes later than everyone else and was already making childish remarks about everything; they were about Steve mostly. Bruce and Steve were seated in chairs at the table. The super soldier was still dressed in his new Captain America uniform, his cheek leaning against a gloved palm. Natasha walked in gracefully and took a seat across from Steve, ignoring everyone's curious expressions.

"So this Valkyrie chick has been working for Hydra for nearly 60 years and then started working with Loki who's planning world domination on the entire human race." Tony concluded. "And yet she doesn't look a day over 25." Steve resisted a groan of irritation.

"Something doesn't add up here." Bruce added. "She wasn't made into a robot or anything else as far as I can tell. Well, besides her getting her wings." The others looked at him strangely.

"I don't understand?" Thor asked in confusion; the others had a similar expression.

"I mean that I think it's possible that she was made like this against her." Bruce opened up the security monitor to reveal the Valkyrie in the holding cell. "I mean, back to her conversation with Agent Romanoff. She refused to be associated with Hydra. If Hydra was smart enough, they would have programmed her to obey their every command and practically have her worship them as if they were gods. Whatever happened with Hydra, she obviously wanted nothing to do with it."

Steve nodded in agreement at the scientist's theory but shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He despised Hydra even more for manipulating an innocent woman and changing her into their own personal weapon. But there was a missing variable that was bothering Steve the most.

Who was she really?

The security was then replaced with dozens of files stacked beside each other, containing information about the Valkyrie. At first, a bunch of old, grainy pictures appeared on the monitors which were then replaced with some recent photographs with Loki's henchmen. With one more tap, a video appeared on the screen, and Steve went rigid in his seat.

_"__Hail Hydra!"_ _The Valkyrie spat out as agents shoved her against the ground, pressing a gun against the back of her head. "Hail Hydra!" _

"Wasn't Hydra a Nazi deep-science division? Last time I checked, Nazis were in Germany, not Russia." Bruce asked curiously, looking a bit unnerved by the recently played footage.

"We believe Hydra might have associated with the KGB and the Soviet Union at one point in time, but we're not sure yet. Our guest isn't exactly gung ho about sharing during story time so it's just a matter of time." Natasha replied coolly.

An agent walked over to the conference table, briefly whispered something into Fury's ear, and then placed a medium-sized storage box on the table.

"We've collected some items off her but they were mainly weapons and explosives." Fury announced. "We were to collect a DNA sample from her but she nearly bit Agent Sitwell's ear off in the process." The rest of the group grimaced at the thought of an earless Sitwell.

"I like her already." Tony chuckled, not even responding to the obvious annoyed groan from Steve and the others.


	16. Chapter 16

"Careful, Rogers. Keep staring at that monitor like that, it might explode." Natasha teased, approaching the blond man who was intensely staring at the computer monitors. Natasha noticed he was reading up about the Valkyrie, but she could also see a small tab in the corner labeled "Richards, Amelia."

Bruce and Tony were already set up in their lab and began to analyze the energy readings off of Loki's specter. Fury disappeared among the sea of SHIELD agents while Maria Hill was assisting others around the bridge. Thor was speaking with Agent Coulson about someone but Steve was unable to catch their name.

"She's credited with more than 30 assassinations in the last six decades." Natasha nearly spat in disgust. "Every time SHIELD tried to get ahold of her, she's gone without a trace. The last sighting of her if you exclude two days ago was in Moscow in '98."

"I'm guessing you two have met before?" Steve asked, hearing the obvious hostility in her voice.

"That's a story for another time, Captain Rogers." She smiled wryly.

Steve offered her a polite smile before facing the screen again and exhaling sharply. He could hear the Valkyrie's dreaded voice pierce through his skull like a blaring siren.

_Hail Hydra!_

"Something wrong?" Natasha asked.

"If this woman is where she says she's from and Hydra's still around…" Steve felt his throat tighten. "Then all we worked for was for nothing. Bucky died for nothing and Am-"

He stopped himself from saying more than he should. He didn't want to reveal those kinds of details to a person he met literally less than 24 hours ago. Natasha wanted to ask more but she shrugged it off.

"That's not necessarily true." Natasha offered. "The way I see it…With a little push and shove, she could lead us straight to Hydra and then you can get the revenge you're dreaming about."

Steve stared blankly at the cluttered mess on the screen, contemplating Natasha's words for a brief moment. He was forced to make tough decisions in the past; some that didn't make him sleep so well at night. But he wasn't sure if he was onboard with torturing someone for information; even if that person was someone as dangerous as the Valkyrie. Steve also had to consider the fact that she could have been someone who was taken by Hydra and made into _that. _

"Torturing's not our style, Rogers. Unfortunately." Natasha smirked after she noticed the concern written on Steve's features. "We'll make a deal with her. She gives us information on Hydra, we'll let her go. Simple."

Steve found it hard to believe that an intelligence organization such as SHIELD would let the assassin walk off with nothing. Despite his reluctance, Steve didn't question Agent Romanoff any further. He switched the computer monitor to the security footage of the Valkyrie in her cell, and Steve began watching her every move. She was stationary on the metal bed with her face turned away from the camera.

"If that's all, I'll leave you to browse for a little while. Don't be a stranger." Natasha bid the super soldier goodbye with a slight tilt of her head, walking off and leaving Steve there with the pile of information and a developing migraine.

**1972**

She felt as if both of her lungs collapsed and shriveled into tiny specks of dust. Her mouth went dry, and no sounds or words could be formed. Her limbs were locked in place but her mind was filled to the brim with curse words and uncontrollable shocks of fear. Her eyes traced every feature of the woman in the aged photograph and tried to mark down the differences between the woman and herself.

She didn't find much.

The woman in the photograph, Amelia Richards, had healthy dark locks that were curled and pinned up with a clip. Her eyes were full of light, rimmed with the softest touches of charcoal and caramel. Hidden around the woman's neck but just barely noticeable were dog tags; similar to the ones that were around the Valkyrie's. Subconsciously, the assassin touched the cool surface with her fingertips. The woman was smiling modestly into the camera with both of her arms wrapped around two people's waists. One of the other people was another brunette woman, and the other a man with a peculiar moustache. His arm was wrapped around Amelia's shoulders; they appeared to be close friends by the way they leant into the hug.

The folder was beginning to wobble due to her trembling grip. Suddenly, she put the manila folder back on the table and wrapped her arms around her body, pressing her back against the drywall. Goosebumps occupied every inch of her bare skin, and her limbs felt like they were being pricked by imaginary needles. Breathing suddenly became harder to do.

She didn't know those people. She didn't know who that woman was. Whether that was her or not in the photograph, that woman was long gone.

Her ears picked up a distant sound down the hallway and like the speed of light, the Valkyrie placed the items back into the cabinet and silently opened the file room door with one hand. There weren't any guards roaming around in the hall, but she knew better than to trust the emptiness. She made sure the cameras at the end of the halls didn't pick up her movements or her appearance as she slipped back into her bedroom.

When she was finally inside, she let out a quivering breath. She gripped the dog tags around her neck, tangling her fingers with the chain. It gave her some comfort but not even the necklace could calm her racing pulse.

Her room was barren with no windows albeit the drawer of clothes against the wall on the right side of the room and the springy cot in the middle. The room itself was horrible, with everything inside compressed together and left no place for space or other necessities. The clothes inside the drawers were mainly dark mission clothes, shirts and pants for sleeping and training, and underwear. When the Valkyrie first lied down on the cot provided by the organization, it felt as if she was resting on a plank of wood. Springs would pierce through the mattress and press sharply against her back but the assassin didn't mind it as much. After all, she goes through worse considering she has sharp, Vibranium wings that tear through her back every so often.

The Valkyrie's original clothes were replaced with a white shirt and capris issued to her from Hydra. The clothes reminded her of clothing given to you in a psychiatric ward. She slipped underneath the thin, sad excuse of a blanket on the bed and turned to the side, shutting her eyes.

A few moments later, the door screeched open.

There was a moment of silence before shoes thumped against the floor and stopped two feet away from the bed. The Valkyrie made sure her breathing was slowed down and her eyes closed shut as the stranger surveyed her figure. She was sure it was a male. His musky cologne was practically suffocating, and she felt him hover over her body.

"Is there anything else I can help you with, Director Pierce?" A voice at the door asked in a hushed tone. The assassin recognized it as the voice of Zachariah Merrill's assistant, Matthew Harrison.

Director Pierce said nothing and simply observed the assassin. Her body was small, but there were strong muscles evident in her arms and legs. Her eyes were rimmed with dark under-eye circles, and her skin was ashen and dry. Her knuckles were calloused and raw due to the excessive fight training she was forced to do each day, and her skin was littered with scars ranging from healed scrapes to lifetime markings. It wasn't her physical appearance that intrigued Director Pierce; it was her hidden abilities. In his eyes, she was just another major piece in his game of chess. She didn't look like much but underneath her eyelids, he imagined there was fire raging in his irises. With that rage, his mission shall begin.

"I think I found what I'm looking for." His polite tone of voice made the Valkyrie's skin crawl. "Thank you, Mr. Harrison. Send Merrill my regards."

The day soon faded into night, and the invisible helicarrier loomed over the Atlantic Ocean. Steve kept himself occupied with studying SHIELD reports about the Valkyrie. Natasha was prepping for interrogation with Loki, and Fury was nowhere to be seen. Bruce and Tony were still working in the lab, stressing over the energy signatures being emitted from the specter. Bruce started scanning and analyzing the specter, comparing the energy readings to Selvig's.

"The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports on the Tesseract." Bruce stated, hovering the device over the energy-powered part of the scepter and eying the readings carefully on the screen. "It's going to take weeks to process."

"If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the Homer cluster, we can clock this at around 600 teraflops." Tony squinted at the screen as he traced his fingers against it. Bruce chuckled lowly, his attention still settled on the scepter and the other monitors surrounding his work space.

"All I packed was a toothbrush." Bruce joked.

Tony laughed as he started walking over to Bruce. "You know, you should come by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&amp;D." Tony explained, sneakily picking up an electrical poker on the table next to hm. "You'd love it, it's Candyland."

Bruce sent an awkward glance towards Tony. "Thanks but the last time I was in New York, I kind of…broke Harlem."

"Well, I promise a stress-free environment." Tony moved behind Bruce. "No tension, no surprises." That's when he decided to strike with the poker. Bruce shot up, letting out a tiny surprised yelp.

"Hey!" A voice called out from the doorway. "Are you nuts?" Steve approached the two, still clad in his tight-fitting Captain America uniform. He looked peculiar compared to Bruce and Tony who were dressed in their civilian attire.

"Jury's out." Tony merely peeked at Steve before watching Bruce with curiosity. "You really have a lid on it, have you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?"

Steve clenched his jaw tightly and silently forced himself to not commit an act of violence. "Is everything a joke to you?"

"Funny things are." Tony pointed at the soldier in a knowingly fashion.

"Threatening the safety of everybody on this ship isn't funny." Steve paused. "No offense, Doc."

Bruce shook his head. "No, it's all right. I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things."

Tony began drumming the poker against his palm as he started to move around the table. "You're tip-toeing, big man. You need to strut."

Steve was just about done with Tony's overly confident attitude and unprofessionalism. "And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark." He acted as if Tony's name was like poison to his tongue.

"Do you think I'm not?" Tony asked. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before?"

Steve repressed the urge to roll his eyes. "You think Fury's hiding something?"

Against his wishes, Steve started to look back to his talks with Fury. Fury always spoke with as many little details as possible. But Steve didn't want to give Tony any satisfaction.

"He's a spy, Captain. He's _the_ spy." Tony emphasized. "His secrets have secrets." He stopped to pop a few blueberries into his mouth before motioning towards Bruce. "It's bugging him too.  
Isn't it?"

Bruce looked up from what he was doing to give the two men a sheepish look. "I just want to finish my work here and-"

"Doctor?" Steve started. Bruce took in a deep breath, looking away from his work and taking his glasses off.

"'A warm light for all mankind.' Loki's jab about the Cube. Well I think that's meant for you." Bruce waved towards Tony who held out the packet of blueberries to the former.

Bruce complied, continuing to explain while he dug around for a few of the berries. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."

"Stark Tower?" Steve didn't bother to hold in a scoff. "That big, ugly-" Tony sent him a less-than-amused look. "Building in New York?"

"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source. That building will run itself for, what, a year?" Bruce asked. Tony shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's just a prototype. I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now." Tony bragged to Steve who mimicked Tony's previous look of annoyance.

"So, why didn't SHIELD bring him in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce questioned.

"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of SHIELD's secure files." Tony stated casually, ignoring Steve's hardened stare.

"I'm sorry, did you just say-"

"Jarvis has been running it since I hit the bridge." Tony finally glanced up at Steve, holding a tablet in his hands. "In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret SHIELD has ever tried to hide." Tony held the packet of blueberries and offered some to the Captain.

"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around." Steve replied nastily.

"I think Loki's trying to wind us up. This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed. We have orders. We should follow them." Steve finished, turning his gaze away from the scientist and back on Tony.

"Following isn't really my style," Tony replied, tossing some blueberries into his mouth again.

Steve became to smile sarcastically. "And you're all about style, aren't you?"

"Of the people in this room, who is A) wearing a spangly outfit and B) not of use?"

Steve gritted his teeth and held back a curse meant for Tony. Trying to keep the peace, Bruce decided to cut in. Every detail began circulating inside Steve's head before he turned towards the door and let the two of them resume their research. He tried to ignore the amusement on Tony's face and disregarded Bruce's apologetic glance.

Steve walked out of the door but stopped in the middle of the hallway. Tony's words pressed against his thoughts and whether he liked it or not, Tony was right. There were dirty little secrets lingering inside SHIELD with the evidence right under their noses. Right then and there, Steve decided on two plans.

_Number one: Find out what SHIELD has been hiding. _

_Number two: Meet with the Valkyrie. _


	17. Chapter 17

**1972**

"Get up." A harsh voice spat in her ear.

The Valkyrie was surprised that she was able to get a few hours of sleep in, especially after what she's found out in the file room. Even before the woman could identify the speaker, she was grabbed roughly by the arm and thrown onto the floor as if she weighed the same as a rag doll. Her hair curtained her face and eyes and before she could lift her hair away, a steel-toed boot met with her solar plexus.

"I said get up." They hissed again, their voice sounding slightly muffled.

This time, the Valkyrie brushed away her hair and glared mutely at her aggressor. He was a broad-shouldered, intensely muscular man wearing all black including the black helmet; just like the rest of the bastards. His hand gripped tightly at her arm while the other hand held the end of the gun against her skull.

_Oh how I would rip you apart limb from limb if I have the chance. _

Without another word, the assassin was pulled up from the floor and into the man's tight hold. Her hands were then pulled behind her and bound together with electric handcuffs. Just one sudden jerk or movement, electricity would surge throughout her body. The door opened and guarded with two other Hydra agents. Even underneath the helmets, she could feel their burning gaze sear into her skin. Nonetheless, the Valkyrie held her chin high and obeyed by following the guards. With each stride, she felt the gun press deeper into her temple.

The Valkyrie was taken to the testing room where there were several doctors and scientists waiting for her, holding their white clipboards against their chests. They provided her with a simple nod and nothing more. These professionals weren't her friends; she knew that and they did too.

"Good morning, my dear." A sickly sweet voice exclaimed as the figure entered the room a few minutes later. The Valkyrie gritted her teeth at the sight of the man shaking hands with the other men as if they were great friends. The guards were then motioned to leave the room but not without sending the detained assassin a hellish glare.

"Any progress?" The Valkyrie overheard Merrill ask excitedly. He was waiting for the day when she became his perfect little soldier. But at the sight of the doctors' prolonged hesitance, Merrill's excitement died down. "If there's something you're not telling me Markov, you damn better believe I will take your heart and-"

"Merrill, let's keep our hands clean for the meanwhile, if that's okay with you." The Valkyrie recognized the voice as Director Pierce, the same man that was in her room the other night. Her blood ran frigid at the sight of him. He looked so…normal.

His dirty blond hair was combed to the side in a very proper manner, and somehow, it reminded the Valkyrie of someone. His sharp blue gaze paid no attention to her and was in fact trained on Merrill. He stood at 6 feet tall, maybe a little less, and held a regal and righteous aura.

It almost made her physically sick. He was dressed in a smart suit, complete with a dark blue tie and a small pin on his jacket's collar. The engraving on the pin was too small to read from where the Valkyrie was sitting but she inferred that it had something to do with the government. After all, Mr. Harrison from last night did call him 'Director' Pierce.

"Pierce, it's a surprise to see you here so early. I thought there was a World Security Council conference this afternoon." There was an underlying tone of displeasure in Merrill's voice.

Director Pierce shook his head no and tucked his hands into his pant pockets, approaching Merrill with a slow pace. He ignored the assassin's stare as he stopped a few feet in front of Merrill.

"Something came up but there's nothing to worry about." Director Pierce chuckled lowly, his gaze shifting from Merrill to things around the room. He didn't either catch the brief glare Merrill shot in his direction or decided to ignore it. "Things are going well around here, I assume?"

"Things are going great; terrific! In fact, I don't think your help is needed but if we do, I'll be sure to let you know." Merrill's lips were pulled into a stiff smile. "Besides, I've heard you've already have your hands full with your own project, am I correct?"

Pierce brushed his fingertips against the cool metal of the filing cabinets against the wall on the right side of the room, silently examining the labeling on the front. Nothing in the room seemed to interest him until his eyes fixated on the still figure in the leather chair who was staring blankly at the floor. She seemed to hiss quietly in pain whenever she fixed her posture in the chair and Pierce concluded that it was due to the electricity-laced handcuffs around her wrists.

"I'm known for being able to multitask, Senator Merrill. It's one of my best qualities." Director Pierce charmed mockingly. Merrill's jaw clenched tightly. "I think Project Valkyrie is worth checking into."

As Director Pierce spoke, he walked closer to the Valkyrie and finished with his hand resting on the top of the chair close to her head. Anger came off Merrill's body in steamy tendrils.

"I've been rejected clearance into the Winter Soldier project several times." Merrill started, raising an accusing finger at Director Pierce.

"156 times, to be exact." Director Pierce muttered underneath his breath as Merrill ranted.

"But now that my work is finally being recognized, you want to steal my success. You're just another government gold digger." Merrill spat. His harshness barely affected the blond man who was feigning a look of boredom.

"And you would know all about gold diggers, don't you Zachariah? How's Lydia doing?" Director Pierce joked. His levels of amusement rose when Merrill's bulky face turned purple.

"All I'm asking for a brief…test. Just to see if this project is something worth looking into. If not, I'll be out of your hair." Pierce paused, taking in the balding spot on Merrill's head. "Well, with what's left of your hair."

If Merrill was a character in a cartoon, there would be steam and smoke spewing from Merrill's ears and nostrils. The Valkyrie remained silent, trying to ignore the numb feeling in her legs and feet caused by sitting still for too long. Then, she felt Director Pierce turn towards her.

"If I could have a word with the subject," Director Pierce asked in a polite tone, more specifically towards Merrill. In a quiet huff of irritation, Merrill shouted at the doctors and guards to go away before disappearing from the room entirely as well.

It was now just the Valkyrie and Director Pierce. She felt a hot sweat on the back of her neck and in her underarms as Director Pierce took a chair from the corner of the room and pulled it up in front of her. Sitting down, he intertwined his hands and rested them in his lap.

"I've read all about you. You're quite the remarkable woman." Director Pierce grinned proudly. If the assassin didn't know any better, she would have though the smile was genuine. "And remarkable women deserve much more than a shoddy laboratory and balding politicians."

The Valkyrie stared hard at his face, trying to deduce facts about him as he spoke. So far, there was nothing she could find out about him besides the fact he's married, the head of some unknown branch of government, and that Merrill hates his guts. Director Pierce was a closed book that was too advanced for the Valkyrie to read.

"You've shaped the century with your bravery and abilities. There is no one else quite like you, young lady." The Valkyrie didn't like the way he addressed her as a 'young lady'. After everything she's went through, she's far from being something such as a 'young lady'.

"With me," Director Pierce said in a sincere voice. "You'll be a hero in the eyes of millions around the world. You'll be doing what you were born to do."

The Valkyrie looked up slowly, trying not to let her facial expressions reveal the growing fear spreading throughout her veins. Her attention averted back down to her lap. The dull metal of the dog tag chain was slightly peeking out from underneath her white t-shirt, and the Valkyrie was thankful that no one noticed it, especially Merrill. She never realized how small she sounded compared to Director Pierce until she heard herself talk. "What's that?"

"Protecting the world and taking care of imminent threats no matter what." Director Pierce paused for a moment, absorbing her reaction. She was hesitant, and her pale skin never looked more ashen. "My question for you is: Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of something a lot bigger than yourself?"

The Valkyrie masked a nervous gulp. Wobbling significantly, she stood up from the seat. She ignored the shocks that stung her skin when she moved her hands out. Pierce displayed his smugness as he pulled out a key he took from one of the doctors' pockets and proceeded to remove the entrapments.

"I look forward to working with you, young lady."

Loki paced around in his cell, enjoying the silence that loomed over him. Barton and the others would be arriving soon, and Loki needed to be comfortable just before the action started. He stopped suddenly at the almost inaudible sound of feet shuffling across the floor. Luckily for Loki, he was a god, and nothing, not even a highly trained mortal, can sneak up on the God of Mischief and Lies.

A smirk grew on his thin lips. "There's not many people who can sneak up on me."

He turned around to find the redheaded agent Natasha Romanoff standing there with her arms by her sides. Her eyes were fixated on Loki with so much concentration that if she had the power to do so, Loki would have been blown to pieces by now.

"But you figured I'd come." Natasha answered, not taking her eyes off Loki.

"After. After whatever torture Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm." Loki replied, sounding highly sarcastic. "And I would cooperate."

"I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton." The mischievous grin never left Loki's face.

"I would say I've expanded his mind." Loki said nonchalantly. "The Valkyrie can educate you about the pesky and strenuous details if you are truly desperate to know. Given the fact she is the one who had brought Agent Barton to my attention."

Natasha's face remained emotionless. "Yet you don't seem to care that she is now detained in one of our prison cells."

Loki stepped closer to the glass walls. "She is a mere pawn given to me by sheer coincidence."

"So once it's all over," Natasha stalked closer to the cell. "You'll just kill her without batting a single eyelash." Loki's wide grin was more than confirmation to Natasha. "You know that it won't end pretty for you."

Loki raised a curious eyebrow. "How so?"

"You know who she really is." There was no recognition on Loki's face. "When Captain Rogers learns of this new information, he'll find someone to blame for it and you're number one on his list by a long shot."

Loki laughed lowly, placing his hands behind his back in a casual manner. "I do appreciate the irony in this plan, Agent Romanoff. Your organization is feeding lies to the patriotic man about his lost love yet you believe I shall be the first person the Captain will attack?"

Natasha shifted the subject before Loki became too submersed in the argument. "What's going to happen to Agent Barton's mind after everything is over?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" Loki slyly grinned.

"Love is for children. I owe him a debt." Natasha crossed her arms around her chest. At that moment, Loki started moving backwards to the bench on the other side of the cell.

"Tell me," Loki said, sitting down and clasping his hands together. Natasha stood still for a moment before proceeding to take a seat near the railing.

"Before I worked for SHIELD," Natasha hesitated. "Well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way."

Memories from the past began rushing back to Natasha. She remembered the exact day she found out that SHIELD was after her. She tried to escape before they could capture her, but Agent Barton was quick. He caught her right before she could throw herself out of the window. He could've killed her right then and there but…he didn't. Thus soon after, Natasha's life at SHIELD was born, and her relationship with Barton expanded ever since.

"No, I like this." Loki's crazed grin appeared. "Your world in the balance and you bargain for one man."

"Regimes fall every day." Natasha answered knowingly. "I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian… or was."

Loki glanced at the floor briefly before linking his eyes with hers. "And what are you now?"

Natasha lifted herself up from her spot next to the railing. "It's really not that complicated. I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red?" Loki challenged, and he began to stand back up.

"Dreykov's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital fire?"

Natasha's lips parted slightly, and she pretended as if she were struggling to keep her emotions buried deep inside. "Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping. It's gushing red and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?"

Natasha feigned a frightened expression, making it appear as if she was having difficulty breathing steadily. Although Loki was the God of Mischief and Lies, Natasha knew a thing or two with persuasion; even if the person she was persuading was thousands of years old and from another planet.

As Loki continued threatening Natasha, Tony and Bruce were busy analyzing the readings from the scepter as well as breaking down the secrets hidden inside SHIELD. Steve made his way inside a restricted area in the storage room and began opening a suspicious-looking box. At the sight of the weapons and a familiar helmet, Steve's body burned hot with shock and betrayal. The wretched skull symbol glared at him as he collected one of the guns in the storage box. Steve decided to make his trip to the Valkyrie a lot sooner than later.

Loki slammed his fist against the window, making Natasha stumble backwards in surprise. "I won't touch Barton, not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear."

Horrified tears glistened over Natasha's eyes as Loki spewed more threats. She spun around in disgust and shut her eyes as if she were attempting to block Loki's words out.

"You're a monster." She sniffled.

"Oh no, you've brought the monster."

_Bingo_. Natasha straightened out her back and pivoted back around.

"So, Banner. That's your play." Loki's insidious grin melted. The agent then put her hand onto the earpiece, swiftly heading towards the doors.

"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab. I'm on my way. Send Thor as well." Natasha removed her hand from her ear and turned towards Loki who was still furrowing his eyebrows and trying to comprehend the situation.

"Thank you for your cooperation." There was a hint of a smile on Natasha's lips as she bid a goodbye to the god and headed out of the room, cutting through halls to get to Bruce's lab.

The Valkyrie must have been in her cell for at least 2 days now. Her stomach growled furiously and begged for some sort of sustenance, but she found herself refusing the food the agents brought to her cell. She would throw the meal at the glass walls and threaten the agents in Russian as well as with her Vibranium bladed wings.

For the past 2 days, she kept herself busy by scratching random markings on the wall. She would just listen to the screeching noises being produced as she etched X's and O's into the glass. Her back was still hurting profusely from using her wings albeit she enjoyed the reactions from frightened SHIELD agents; some old and some young. Her favorite was when an agent began crying after the Valkyrie cut off a good inch of her hair with one of the blades. It wasn't her fault that the agent was talking annoyingly into something that looked more like a grenade than a communication device.

Now, the Valkyrie was feeling bored being stuck inside the glass cell and was in need of some entertainment. Closing her eyes and covering them with her arms, she carefully laid down on the metal bed and pretended to take a nap.

Then as if someone from the heavens heard her thoughts, the doors to the holding room opened and in walked a tall blond man wearing a red, white, and blue outfit. When the Valkyrie slightly opened her eyes, she narrowed her eyes. He seemed oddly familiar, but she was sure she had never seen him before. She turned with her back facing towards him and watched him through the reflection of the glass. In his hand was a large gun that resembled something the assassin had seen back when she was still under Merrill's care. Her eyes focused on the symbol on the side of the gun and there it was: the infamous Hydra symbol.

"Where is Hydra hiding?" The man demanded.

His voice was hard and rigid, but the Valkyrie faced worse men than him. Just to spite him, she remained silent and started to fiddle with the metal mask she previously ripped from her face. Her talons started etching miniscule lines on the metal, none that were too damaging or noticeable. She sensed the man's anger grow as he repeated his question two more times.

"заткнись." She groaned in annoyance. She tossed the mask aside after finding herself being becoming even more bored so she started drawing different shapes on the glass wall. She smiled happily when she finally blocked out the annoying man's voice.

"Please!" He shouted loudly. This time, the Valkyrie's hand halted and fell into her lap with defeat. "If you will give me a straight answer, I promise your safe release." The assassin's ears perked up at the sound of her freedom.

"So I'll ask you again…Where is Hydra?" Steve was becoming more desperate.

The Valkyrie stayed silent but he could see her watching him in the reflection in the glass. Her shoulders started to shake and soon, Steve heard her laughter fill the room. His eyebrows furrowed suddenly; her laugh sounded broken and hoarse but there was something about it...

"You people make me laugh." She answered hoarsely, standing up from her bed and started moving towards Steve. Her hair acted as a curtain draping her face but Steve could see her lips moving as she spoke. "You want justice and freedom for your people yet you hold a gun against their head and slaughter dozens of innocents. Hydra isn't afraid to act. When they want justice, they get justice. When they want freedom, they get freedom. When someone threatens that, the threat is taken care of."

"If you're loyal to Hydra, why did you escape?" Her grin fell into a thin line. "Who are you?" Steve said it more as a command than a question.

Her back was facing Steve once more, and Steve could see a glint of metal poke through the skin of her back. She clenched her hands into fists before relaxing them and turning around slowly to face the super soldier.

Steve nearly dropped the gun onto the floor, and he felt the sudden urge to vomit everything he had eaten that day. The way she was looking at him…it was her, but she wasn't there.

But nonetheless, it was her. Her hair was a tangled mess but it was still her hair. Her eyes were darker and underlined with dark circles but they were still her eyes that he remembered and missed dearly. Her skin was dry and pale but it was still her skin. Her voice was hoarse and damaged but when he listened closely, Steve could sense her once vibrant and melodious voice. She was damaged beyond repair but she was still his Amelia.

"Amelia?" Steve choked out. The cords in his throat tightened, and his words came out chopped and breathless. Her face contorted with confusion and opened her mouth to speak until Steve heard a voice interrupt.

"Rogers, what are you doing in here?" Natasha started to scold him but at the expression on Steve's face, her lips sealed together. He knew.

With one last hopeful look at the woman in the holding cell, Steve took the gun in his left hand and went to grab Natasha's arm with his right. The two of them both walked to the laboratory, Natasha practically feeling Steve's anger radiate onto her own body.

"You and Fury are going to tell me everything. No more lies." Steve hissed into her ear as they both entered the lab where Fury and Tony were arguing.

Natasha could feel that their conversation wasn't going to end well.


	18. Chapter 18

The Valkyrie frowned bemusedly as the blond-haired man gaped at her like…like he knew her. But then they were interrupted by Agent Romanoff. The redheaded agent eyed the uniformed man with a steel gaze. The look melted into irritation and recognition when he spun around on his heels and took her by the arm, dragging the woman out of the holding room at the speed of light.

_Who was that man? Why did he call me Amelia? _

From what she understood, she didn't have a name. Names were titles you gave to children that they had to learn to accept what they became older. But she was different. She had no recollection of a name. Hell, come to think of it, she didn't even know her own birthdate. She searched and scoured deep within her brain but it was just darkness and nothingness. A deep frown wrinkled her brow, and the Valkyrie turned to look back at the doors. But there was no one there anymore.

Steve refused to loosen his vice-like grip on Natasha's arm until they were hidden in the shadows and a considerable length away from the holding room. Natasha ripped away her arm from his hold and glared in irritation at the soldier.

"Jeez, Rogers-" Her sarcastic comment was cut off by Steve slamming his hand against the wall. Some agents stopped in their tracks and stared curiously at the two of them, but they continued on when they saw Steve's menacing expression.

"You looked me in the eyes and told me lies. You and Fury," Steve growled angrily. The agent's face was devoid of emotion, but there was a small gleam of sympathy in her green eyes.

"It was for your own good." Steve gave her a displeased look. "If you knew who the Valkyrie was, you were most likely going to do something stupid that could ruin the whole operation and get a lot of people killed."

Steve sighed deeply, shutting his eyes and concentrating on leveling his unsteady breath.

"It was for the best, Steve." Natasha said quietly, lifting her hand to pat Steve on the shoulder but the man shrugged it away.

"You keep telling yourself that." Steve muttered angrily. He turned on his heels but stopped short in his tracks.

He shifted his head to glance at Natasha sideways. "And her name's Amelia."

He headed towards the lab with the Hydra weapon in his hand, ready to confront Fury about the whole situation. He sensed Natasha following close behind but he decided to ignore her for the time being.

"What is Phase 2?" Steve heard Tony ask Fury. Tony was staring intently at the monitor that began loading with different files. Just then, Steve dropped the gun onto the table, gaining the men's attention.

"Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the Cube to make weapons." Steve announced stoically. He glanced over at Tony. "Sorry, computer was running a little slow for me."

"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract." Fury tried to reason, approaching Steve as he spoke. "This does not mean that we are making—"

"I'm sorry, Nick." Tony said rather loudly. He pushed the screen around and revealed to the two men the blueprints to some weapon designs. "What were you lying?"

Steve clenched his jaw even tighter. "Anything else you would like to share? Because right now is a good time to do so."

Thor entered the room followed by Natasha who was settled in the shadows earlier.

Director Fury gave Steve a hard stare. "Rogers, what are you—"

"I know about Amelia." Steve interrupted. Fury's face fell subtly but nonetheless, it fell. And Steve knew he got Fury in his lie right then and there. "You lied to me. You made me believe she was gone but she's been here the whole damn time."

Tony butted in. "I'm sorry, were we not just talking about SHIELD creating weapons using the Cube? Now Captain Crunch's dead-but-not-dead girlfriend is suddenly more important?"

Steve growled lowly but brushed off Tony's comment with tense shoulders.

"There were things you were permitted to know, and unfortunately, Agent Richards was something you weren't authorized to know." Steve fought off the frustrated tears that welled up in his eyes. "It was for your own good, Cap."

"You made me believe everyone that I love was dead. I was right, Director. The world hasn't changed a bit." Steve sent Fury an unwavering glare.

"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" Natasha was quick to change the subject.

"I was in Calcutta." Bruce laughed humorlessly as he moved closer to the group. "I was pretty well removed."

"Loki's been manipulating you." Natasha started moving towards Bruce in a slow pace.

"And you've been doing what, exactly?" Bruce smirked humorlessly. The two of them both felt everyone's eyes carefully watching them.

"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you." Natasha was finally in front of Bruce but was still a few feet away.

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy." Bruce held the bottom of the monitor and displayed the screen to the others. "I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

There was a brief moment of silence before Fury lifted his arm and pointed at Thor who was standing a few feet away from him. Once he noticed that Fury was accusing him, his eyes narrowed in offense rather than confusion.

"Me?" Thor asked. Even Tony had a look of surprise on his face.

Although Steve was listening closely as Fury spoke, he began to blocking out every other sound and focused in on his own thoughts. Several different thoughts were pounding away and demanded individual attention, making Steve feel antsier. First and foremost, he was thinking about Amelia. She was right there in the same vicinity as him, and he didn't even know it. Fury looked him right in the eye and told him that she was gone, and Steve had believed it to be true.

Now, Steve didn't know what to believe in anymore.

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it and his allies." Thor argued, taking a step forward. "It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve asked in disbelief.

"You forced our hand." Fury started. "We had to come up with something—"

"A nuclear deterrent." Tony interrupted. "Because that always calms everything right down." His snarky comment sparked an equally snarky comment from Director Fury. This time, Steve decided to answer.

"I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep—"

"W-wait, hold on. How is this now about me?" Tony frowned. Steve nearly scoffed.

"I'm sorry, isn't everything?"

"I thought humans were more evolved than this." Thor blurted out.

"Excuse me, did we go to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury retorted in a sarcastic tone.

"You treat your champions with such mistrust." Thor countered.

"Are you boys really that naïve?" Natasha suppressed a tired groan of frustration. "SHIELD monitor potential threats."

"Captain America's on threat watch?" Bruce said in disbelief.

Their argument went on like that for what seemed like forever. The six of them failed to notice the increasing blue glow radiating from the scepter, warning them about the upcoming event that was about to unravel.

In the holding cell, the Valkyrie found herself sitting on the edge of the bed again, holding her head in her hands. The mechanical talons were whirring rapidly, switching from dull to fully sharpened and lethal. She could feel the bile rushing up her throat, but she refused to let it out. There was something wrong, but the assassin had no idea what it was.

First, it was a sharp pinch in the side of her head. Then, it transformed into the mother of all monster headaches. She somehow hoped that it was because she had been out of cryo for more than half a year, but that conclusion made her feel worse. There were times when she was still with Hydra that she experienced bad headaches and constant nausea, but nothing felt like how she did right now.

Her chest rose and fell in quick, heavy bursts. Her body still felt weak, and the headache was only worsening as time rolled on. She longed for a fresh stream of air, and the urge to break out of her glass cell and rip outside became her ultimate mission. Her wings were aching to be let out but that would mean breaking open the already healed cuts. Infections were also at risk, those were nothing but an achy stomach and cough to her.

Just as she was about to give in and release the poison plaguing her body, an extremely loud explosion rocked the whole helicarrier. Her whole body toppled over and landed hard against the glass, creating a large crack in the wall.

The Valkyrie moaned in agony when a sharp pain shot up her spine. She held her stomach with one hand and grabbed onto the metal leg of the bed with the other. There were two more explosions, and the assassin collapsed and hit the other side of the cell.

"She's in here." A deep voice announced from the darkest corner of the room.

Her eyes met with the blue, glazed-over ones of a stranger who was leading a group of three more men. She assumed they were Loki's men because besides the creepy, glossed over look in their eyes, they proceeded to the control panel and opened the door to the glass cell. One headed inside and helped the woman up albeit not very gently. She inwardly groaned when her stomach did another flip but as soon as she was out of the glass cell and was able to walk properly, her body's pain began to subside.

"Where's Barton?" One man said, slamming his fist down on the panel.

He hit the button that Fury previously mentioned to the Valkyrie before. Just then, the whole glass cell collapsed and fell through the opening and out of the helicarrier. The woman stumbled a bit at the sudden rush of air, but she was caught by one of the agents who shoved her upright.

"He's taking care of the ones of the bridge. Loki told us to take care of this little one." Another man answered and motioned to the assassin currently in his tight grip. They all chuckled lowly, not noticing the growing rage in her eyes.

She didn't appreciate being talked about like she wasn't there, and she especially didn't like being cared for by brainless oafs. Just before the men led her out of the holding room, the Valkyrie stomped on the man's toes behind her and slammed the back of her head into the nose of the man holding her. Before he cried out in pain, she covered his mouth and took one swipe at his abdomen, ripping open his jacket and creating five deep, bloody lines across his stomach. With one final blow to the jaw, his neck snapped to the right, and his body fell to the floor with a thud. The three men noticed five seconds after the man fell to the floor and lunged forward to grab the woman.

But the Valkyrie was faster.

Disregarding the white-hot, searing streaks of pain across her back, the Valkyrie's wings sliced through her skin. She shot two knives deep into the throats of two men, effectively puncturing their throats and leaving them to choke on their own blood. The lone one visibly gulped as the men fell loudly to the ground. He shook it off and ran forward with a fist. She simply smiled and took a blade off from her wings, twirling it expertly in her hand. The man lunged forward which gave the woman the perfect opportunity to dodge his punch and slice through his shirt, creating a deep laceration to his side. Then, she kicked around and sent the man flying to the ground. The assassin slashed the knife across his chest, a gory x marring his skin. Before the man could retaliate, she pushed the blade through his sternum and smiled in satisfaction when the blue disappeared from his eyes, and his body went limp.

"I can take care of myself, ублюдки." She snarled at the deceased men, standing up from her kneeled position.

With a grimace, the Valkyrie sent her wings into her back, leaving behind two fresh gashes under her shoulder blades that she'll have to take care of later. After stealing the men's weapons and tucking them into the holsters attached to her pants, she headed out of the holding cell to find a way out.

Some agents didn't notice her at first because they were too busy following orders that were spewing out into their ears as well as running around the place and avoiding getting shot and killed. When one finally did notice her, the Valkyrie put a bullet into their skull before they could utter another word. She made sure she walked past the rain of gunfire as she searched through different rooms to find an exit. She stopped in her tracks when she noticed something peculiar in one of the rooms.

A box labeled **Subject 11721: Valkyrie** on the side in a black permanent marker was settled in the middle of the table, lid and all. She took off the lid and started stashing the various weapons and explosives back on her body. Just as she grabbed the box top to place it back on, something caught her attention.

There were dirty dog tags lying at the bottom of the box, the surface glinting dully under the fluorescent lights of the SHIELD office. Curiosity took over, and the assassin took a moment to examine the dog tags. She was slightly confused as to why they were in the box with the rest of her stuff. They weren't even on her at the time. Or at least she didn't think so. She didn't remember them and if she did, the memory was gone.

Her eyes caught the first engravings on the dog tags.

_Barnes_

_James, B._

The name sounded so familiar. It was on the tip of her tongue but nothing. Not even a single memory, thought, or appearance came to mind. She was about to toss them back into the box without another care but instead, she tucked them into her pants pocket. With all of her weapons intact and the chaos running amuck in the helicarrier, the Valkyrie was relieved to be leaving the place once and for all.

Until she was stopped by a certain Russian redhead blocking the way.

**A/N: Thanks so much for your lovely reviews from past chapters! It really means a lot to me so keep them coming! Hopefully there aren't any mistakes in this chapter because I literally wrote this all out in like one hour and then revised it today. But there's a lot more coming your way so stay tuned and be patient!**

**Jo: Of course Amelia will remember something because of Steve. Although it won't be all at once because realistically, it'll take a long time for Amelia to become fully aware of her memories and past self. I also believe that before Amelia escaped Hydra and got into the whole business with Loki, she was subjected to regular memory wiping and cryostasis so what she'll know about Hydra's whereabouts and what they're doing is going to be pretty limited. So hopefully, you won't mind if I stretch out the time until she get her memories back!**


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